How To Get Children Excited About Creativity
Kids love to draw and paint, but, as they get older, they tend to trade these creative endeavors in for video games and skateboards. But there are many benefits to helping your children stay interested in the arts. Today, the Kindergarten Kiosk blog offers information on how to help your little one find big excitement in creativity beyond coloring books and watercolors.
Save their artwork.
One of the most important things we can do as parents is to show our children that we are truly emotionally invested in their creativity. You can do this by saving their artwork. Although you can’t necessarily hang up every canvas or crumpled piece of paper, you can scan them and use a PDF file converter to create digital copies that you can store on the cloud to share and view on demand. Look for an online tool that can help you turn your photographs and scanned images into PDFs by dragging and dropping.
Expose them to many different types of art.
Art comes in many different forms. Sculpting, singing, dancing, acting, and poetry all fall under the realm of art. Help your children see the creative beauty in all things by exposing them to different art forms throughout their lifetime. You might, for example, visit an art museum or make sculptures from items scavenged from your own backyard.
Create a dedicated art space.
Kids need a space where they feel safe and comfortable making a mess. Don’t just relegate them to drawing and painting at the kitchen table on the days you feel like getting out the art supplies. Create a dedicated space, such as the corner of a spare bedroom or the playroom, where kids can create on a moment's notice. The Meri Cherry blog has lots of tips.
Host a private art gallery.
Once your children have plenty of artwork to display, host a private art showing with their closest friends and family. Make special tickets for grandparents, older siblings, and other VIPs, and then turn your living room into a showplace. You can even let the kids “cook” and serve hors d’oeuvres using these recipes from Betty Crocker.
Be the cameraman.
If you have a budding actor or actress, offer to do the behind-the-scenes work on their big production. You can use your phone’s camera to record their antics, both scripted and unscripted, and create a mini-movie complete with background music and subtitles. There are many apps available, and you don’t have to have Hollywood experience to lend a hand to your future A-lister.
Meet with local artists.
Children want to know that they can live their dreams when they grow up. Meeting local artists who are making a living doing what they love can excite and encourage your children to do the same. According to the Artwork Archive, there are hundreds of festivals throughout the US throughout the year.
Sign the kids up for classes.
No matter where you live, there’s a good chance that there are art, theater, writing, and other art-focused classes and camps with open registration. Many of them may even offer an introductory class so your children can essentially try it before you buy it. Give them several options, and sign them up for the ones they seem most interested in. Contact your local art supply store, theater group, or community center to inquire about upcoming programs.
Getting the kids involved and excited about art begins by showing them how much their work means to you. By saving their art (even if it’s just as a PDF) you attach value to their efforts. Art comes in many different forms, and you can encourage your children to try all of them by exposing them to everything interesting and being their support crew when they need a behind-the-scenes cameraman or someone to drive them to art class.
Looking for more content on how to keep kids engaged? Bookmark the Kindergarten Kiosk blog today.
