Creative ideas that aren’t art and craft

If someone mentions creativity most of us immediately think about art and craft, but creativity is about much more than paint and glue. And we think lots of the activities that people call creative really aren’t at all, they’re much more about following instructions and conforming. If you’re ready to help your child get their creative juices flowing, we’ve got some ideas for you – and there isn’t any crafting involved! 

The Cambridge dictionary defines creativity as, “The ability to produce or use original and unusual ideas.”^[1] 

In an ever-changing world creativity has been described as a key skill, associated with success in education, work and interactions with others.  

Economists David Gill and Victoria Prowse found those who were more creative as children earned more and had higher levels of education. They suggest that we should find ways to support and encourage creativity in childhood.^[2]  

Encouraging creativity involves:^[3] 

Giving your child time to develop practical skills – this means time to move and explore new objects or materials, and time to watch as you do things so they can copy and practice.  

Noticing when your child takes a new approach, and commenting so they see that doing something differently or trying a new way is valuable.  

Encouraging your child to think for themselves – this means asking questions that don’t have a right or wrong answer and letting your child decide how they want to do things (as long as it’s safe). A good tip for this is to pause and watch before getting involved in your child’s play, so you can think about what they're thinking as well as what they’re doing – you might find the blocks you thought were a tower, are actually a rocket! 

Giving your child a variety of experiences and time to think in new ways – this means you might have an idea about something you will do together, but that you can allow the plans to change as you see your child’s response. 

Listening to your child’s ideas (which might be expressed in words or through actions) - encourage them to develop their ideas, even when other people suggest something else. Building confidence to try out your ideas and sometimes fail is an important part of creativity which you can encourage right from the start. 

Some ideas to try this weekend 

Now you know the importance of encouraging creativity why not try some of these activities this weekend! We’ve organised our ideas for babies, toddlers and children – but you know your child so pick something they’ll love. And don’t forget to look at your activities page for ideas linked to the skills your child is mastering now.  

For babies – Go somewhere new 

Being creative involves drawing on experiences and thinking about them in new ways – so for babies visiting somewhere new can build a foundation of knowledge they’ll draw on in future.  

What to do 

• Choose a new place to visit – this doesn’t have to be miles away, it could be a different park, a friend's house, a shop or even just a new route for a walk.  
• Go when your baby is awake and alert and make sure they can see, hear, and feel what is happening around them.  
• Chat to them about what you can see and feel – you could say, “It’s windy today!” or “Look a dog!”  

For toddlers – Follow their lead 

Even with the best intentions we can find ourselves with a fixed idea of how an activity will go – so this weekend really think about letting your toddler lead (as long as it’s safe).  

You could try the toddler led walk idea we shared a few weeks ago – you can find it in this article – or try the tips below for some child-led play.  

What to do 

• Make sure your toddler can reach their toys if you’re playing inside.  
• If they don’t choose something to do straight away say something like, “I wonder what we could play with today?”  
• Pause and give them time to choose, if you often set things up for them, they might find this tricky.  
• When they’ve chosen something, watch for a little bit and see what they do.  
• Comment about what they’re doing or copy them so they can see they’re deciding what to do today.  
• Join in and play together for as long as they’re interested, keep reminding yourself to follow their lead, and try to resist the temptation to make suggestions.  

For children – Make up a story 

As your child’s imagination develops, you’ll see their creativity growing in their play and in the stories they tell, so why not make a story together?  

What to do 

• Find some inspiration for your child, this could be a bag with a few objects or a familiar story that you can change together.  
• Tell them you’re going to make your own story together today.  
• Show them the items in the bag, you could start with one thing at a time, “Let’s make a story about a tiger...”  
• Some children will immediately think of ideas and tell their tale, but if your child is a bit unsure ask some questions to help them think: 
  • Who is our story about? 
  • Where are they? 
  • What happens? 
  • ...and then what?  

For everyone – a kitchen disco 

You know we love a kitchen disco – and everyone can join in! So, put on your favourite child-friendly tunes and dance together.  

Encourage creative moves with your comments, “That was a brilliant spin,” “I didn’t think of a kick at that bit – what a good idea.”  

References: 

[1] Cambridge dictionary (undated). Meaning of creativity in English. CREATIVITY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary 

[2] Gill, D., & Prowse, V. (2021). The creativity premium. Institue of Labor Economics. 618-cover (warwick.ac.uk) 

[3] Prowse, V. (2021, 15 November). The long-lasting benefits of childhood creativity. Psychology Today. The Long-Lasting Benefits of Childhood Creativity | Psychology Today