creativity

Is your child becoming bored on snowy or rainy days? These are great days to spark creativity and imagination! By allowing your child the ability to be creative without specific instructions or a model promotes independence and problem-solving skills. One way to promote creativity is through “free art”, which allows the child to create anything they desire without “rules” (except for safety, of course!). The amazing thing about free art is anything can be used to create amazing pictures, cars, buildings, etc.

The following is a list of craft supplies likely already in your home to help spark creativity:

• Paper plates
• Paper towel rolls
• Cotton balls
• Newspaper
• Yarn
• Stickers
• Q-tips
• Shoe boxes
• Egg carton
• String
• Paper cups
• Construction paper
• Straws
• Masking tape
• The possibilities are endless!

The ability to work independently is an important skill to support development, success in the school setting, and later in life! Children do not learn independence unless they are given opportunity!

It’s is important to use the correct language to complement a child’s work. Phrases like “what is it?” or “I like your dog” may decreased self- confidence. If the child believes the creation is obvious to the observer (house, etc.) or if the final product is a cat instead of a dog, it is likely the child’s self-confidence will decrease. Asking open-ended statements or questions such as “You worked very hard!” or “Tell me about what you made!” will help boost self-confidence and social skills.

Before throwing away the paper towel roll, save it for your child’s next creative project!

Take a look at our developmental checklist at http://checklist.abcpediatrictherapy.com to see what fine motor to challenge in your child and when.

Visit our website at https://www.abcpediatrictherapy.com to answer any questions about your child’s development you might have.