by David Braybrooke

Created on: March 20, 2007   Last Updated: April 25, 2007

Generally speaking, children are naturally creative as individuals and revel in their abilities to using their imaginations as a basis for enjoying varied activities. There are many ways in which creativity can be fostered in children, such as the following:

~ Reading to children when they are young and encouraging them to draw and finger-paint can form a strong foundation for developing creative talents. Also, singing to them and with them at a young age encourages the development of natural rhythm, and melody making. Keep the activities simple and appealing at first and make sure to offer sincere praise and support as most children thrive on this type of feedback.

~ Take note of children's natural creative inclinations and make an effort to foster the continuing development of each child's innate gifts. Provide opportunities for creative outlets and activities.

~ As children are often naturally like sponges in soaking up information and new experiences it is a great idea to foster growing interest levels by organizing trips to the library, art galleries, museums and even art festivals and musical events. Any hands on exposure to the arts for young children will likely serve as a time where interest levels are begun in the young and a love for future creative pursuits is sown.

~ Join in with children when they are creating and make an effort to show them some of your own self-made creations in order to inspire them to improve and develop. Many young people are more inclined to join in with groups if they see adults and other older individuals enjoying the process of artistic creation.

~ Display children's creative efforts with pride and allow them to talk to others about their own creations in order to foster a sense of pride and ongoing efforts.

~ Many television programs are aimed at encouraging children to participate in the creative process so make sure to give them the opportunity to watch and learn. It sometimes helps, as an older person, to watch the show with them and learn helpful techniques and suggestions yourself. These lessons can be reinforced at a later stage if needed and you can aid in a child's development by providing reminders of what was viewed to jog their memory and stimulate greater creativity and experimenting.

Children are most likely to enjoy and pursue creative endeavors if they are having fun and enjoying themselves so always remember to foster an environment free from high expectations and pressures. As many young people are naturally attracted to vibrant colors and musical and word games, it is quite often easy to initially encourage involvement and participation. Foster creativity in children in a healthy and happy way and watch their creative worlds burst into bloom and take flight!

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