Editor Why is creativity so important?
Research shows that creativity can improve your brain’s cognitive abilities. Plus it has been shown that creative thinking can help our brains develop neural connections and learn new concepts. As you may have experienced, creative activities often improve your child’s mood and help them de-stress or calm down right?
And so it is clear that fostering creative thinking in your kids will lead to stronger emotional & brain health. But sometimes, determining where to start can be tough.
Read on for 6 tips to help your child explore their imagination and learn to think creatively.
Tip #1 Encourage free-play
It is recommended to provide some unstructured free time as a way to support creative thinking. Give your child a little time each day to independently explore their own ideas and interests. Also, make time for creative play—or free time that encourages curiosity or creative thinking. Offering your child a pack of crayons and some paper or encouraging them to play pretend with siblings can be great ways to support creative play.
Zooboo book ‘I spy’ is all about two siblings playing a game of I spy while learning about primary & secondary colours. Explore this creative book with your kids name in it!
Tip #2 Explore outdoors
Research has shown that getting outside into the nature has known to enhance curiosity, encourage flexible thinking, and help you recharge. Next time the weather is good, pack a picnic in the park. Or read a book with your child in the garden.
This Zooboo book ‘Bo-peep’ shows your kid exploring a nature park & learning about the various animal features. Personalize it for your child here!
Tip #3 Teach them to ask ‘What if’ questions
If you can get your children to ask questions about the world and how it works, they’re more likely to come up with their own unique answers. For example:
- What if animals could suddenly talk?
- What if you got wings one day
P.S: This Zooboo book ‘Gets Wings’ is a great start to your kids creative thinking journey. Personalize it with your childs name today!
Tip #4 Bring nature into their learning
Involve nature in your child’s day-to-day activities. This helps jiggle their innate sense of curiosity and fosters STEM (Science- Technology-Engineering-Maths) based thinking.
For example, for a counting activity let them count leaves instead of blocks. For sorting, encourage them to sort leaves from stems.
Introduce your child to the natural elements and weather conditions in this Zooboo book ‘What’s behind the door?’
Tip #5 Ask them open-ended questions
Asking open-ended questions can help children learn to form their own ideas and develop creative thinking. These are questions that require a longer answer than a yes or no. For example,
If you saw a dog outside the temple, chewing on your dad’s shoes, what would you do?
This NEW Zooboo storybook ‘Finds a story’ is all about the child thinking about an original story plot. Customize it for your 9-10 year old and let them enjoy a story about thinking creatively.
Tip #6 Read Together
Research has shown that reading with your child can boost your child’s imagination and problem-solving skills. Make a goal to read a book together every day.
If your book has pictures in it, ask your child to guess what the page is about before you read it together. This can help children practice problem-solving, as well as reading comprehension.
Inspired to buy your kids some personalized storybooks? Check out 15+ book titles that can be customized as per your kids name & character. Suitable for all kids aged 0-12
