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School Funding:
Inspiring Your Kids to Be Creative
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Kids are often happy to do arts and crafts when the opportunity is presented to them. But given a choice, 
they often sit in front of the television or play video games. And even if we as parents do our best to organize creative activities, we often do not have as much time to spend crafting with our kids as we would like.
If you can get your kids to be creative on their own, that means less time spent on unproductive activities such as watching TV. But how does a parent go about that? Here are some thoughts on the subject:
* Make sure your kids see you doing the crafts you love. Answer their questions, show them how to do things, and let them give it a try if possible. If they’re interested in what you’re doing, there’s a better chance that they’ll eventually give it a try on their own.
* Get them craft kits for birthdays and holidays. If you can, get a kit that makes something they are already interested in. For example, if your daughter loves jewelry, buy her a jewelry making kit.
* Keep general craft supplies around the house. You never know when your child might get a wonderful creative idea, but if you’re always prepared, he will be able to act on it when he does.
* When your child makes something for you, display it with pride. Hang her paintings on the refrigerator, keep the paperweight she gave you for your birthday front and center on your desk, and wear that macaroni necklace. If you can’t bring yourself to wear it out of the house, at least hang it from your rear view mirror.
* Drop hints. Say things like, “I really loved that painting you did for the living room. It would be nice to have another one for my office.” This will boost your child’s confidence and encourage more creativity.
* Make stuff for your kids. They will feel special because you created something just for them, and more often than not, they will reciprocate.
* When a friend or family member has a birthday coming up, suggest that your child make the recipient something instead of buying a gift. Offer guidance if he asks, but otherwise, let him come up with his own ideas.
With the distractions of video games and other pastimes that do nothing to encourage independent thinking, getting your child to be creative on his own might seem impossible. But by limiting these distractions and making sure our children have the self-confidence and resources they need to create, we will often see an increased desire to do just that. And if they are creative when they are young, they will usually carry that with them into adulthood.
Related Links: Young at Art book review and Eco Art Supplies
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