How to Inspire Your Grandchildren to Be Creative
On Their Own
Most kids are naturally creative and love to do arts and
crafts when given the opportunity . But so often all they
do is sit in front of the television or play video games.
And even if we as grandparents 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 grandkids to be creative on their own,
they will spend less time on unproductive activities such as
watching TV. But how do we manage that? Here are some
ideas on the subject:
- Make sure your grandkids see you doing the crafts you
enjoy. Show them how you do things, answer their questions
and let them have a try if possible. If they're interested
in what you're doing, there's a good chance that they'll
eventually have a go on their own.
- Give them craft kits for birthdays and holidays. If you
can find one, get a kit that makes something they are
already interested in. For example, if your granddaughter
loves jewelry, buy her a jewelry making kit.
- Keep plenty of craft supplies around the house. You never
know when your grandchild might get a great creative idea,
and if you're always prepared, he will be able to act on it
when he does.
- When your grandchild makes something for you, display it
with pride. Keep her paintings on the refrigerator, have
the paperweight she gave you for your birthday front and
center on your desk, and wear that macaroni necklace - at
least while she is staying with you.
- Drop some hints. Say things like, "I really loved that
painting you did for our living room. It would be nice to
have another one for my office." This will boost your
grandchild's confidence and encourage more creativity.
- Make stuff for your grandkids. They will feel special
because you created something just for them, and more often than
not, they will want to make something for you in return.
- When someone in the family, or a friend has a birthday
coming up, suggest that your grandchild make a gift instead
of buying one. Offer suggestions if she asks, but
otherwise, let her come up with her own ideas.
With the distractions of video games and other pastimes that
do nothing to encourage independent thinking, getting your
grandchild to be creative on his own might seem impossible.
But by limiting these distractions at least while they are
with you, and making sure our grandchildren 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.
From Creative Kids back to Crafts for Kids
