Kids can be naturally creative. As a parent, you can ensure that this natural creativity finds an outlet for expression with creative games for kids. There is the perception that the amount of time spent watchingTV, playing mindless video games and a lack of creative nurturing in schools is currently hampering children’s creativity.
Many experts believe that there is a dumbing down of children’s natural creative flair in the school process and many parents may be concerned about this. Here’s how you can help nurture your child’s creativity and how creative games for kids can help.
Importance of learning a creative skill
Research has long shown in importance of learning a creative skill early in life. For instance, children who learn music in primary school have been seen to have better memorizing skills, better reasoning capability and so on. Recent research has also shown that learning music helps kids improve language skills – it improves the brain’s sensitivity to sounds and speech and could improve children’s ability to concentrate.
Similarly getting the child involved in art or craft early in life also helps the brain develop in a way that fosters creative thinking in a child. So while a number of creative games for kids can help augment this learning process, if is important to give the child an opportunity for creativity by starting them out in a creative sphere such as art, craft, music etc.
Unstructured play
Research has shown us why unstructured play is so importance for kids: it helps them develop emotionally, socially and cognitively – and also creatively. While education and learning are important for children, ‘downtime’; just good old-fashioned playtime is as important.
Unstructured play helps unlock a child’s creativity by giving free reign to ideas and imagination and basically lets a child play at what he or she really enjoys. The child thinks up new ideas for activities, practices social skills, learns to solve problems and becomes more resilient.
Simple creative games for kids
Parents can play some simple games with their younger kids to try and foster creativity. A rhyming game can help a child improve vocabulary and help with the child’s creative processes.
‘Guess what I’m thinking of’ is a game where parents give clues to an object that a child has to guess. ‘Guess the object by feeling it’ also challenges younger children when you put a number of objects in an opaque bag and tell the child to identify what they feel by just feeling.
Creative games for kids online and applications for mobile devices
There is no need to assume that all computer and video games are bad for kids. Some of them are very good; helping foster creativity and learning. If you have an android phone device, visiting the Google Play store will yield rich dividends.
Free (and paid) drawing and coloring apps, spelling apps, puzzle apps, simulated piano apps will not only keep kids riveted, they also enhance a child’s creativity. Similarly the Apple store also has various creative games for kids, free and paid if your device runs on Mac.
