Kids Activities - Cultivating Your Child's Creativity

A child's world is filled with expressions of creativity and imagination. With a bit of encouragement from parents, most children happily paint, sing, dance, make up stories and play make-believe. They learn best when actively participating in tasks, rather than passively receiving information. Children take the complex world around them, reduce it to manageable portions by creating little stories, and pretend games.

Children are natural imitators. They can make meowing and purring sounds just like their pet cat. They can imitate their mother's expression or their father's gait. Imitations help them get the "feel" of the person or thing they are imitating.

These creative activities were once considered "mere play," but are now known to have meaning and purpose. Studies show that children who engage in creative play are likely to have larger vocabulary and greater empathy for others. They tend to be more resourceful when left on their own.

Playing with other children enhances their social development. Interacting with other children allows them to acquire social skills and to appreciate different values and perspectives. Additionally, emotional development is enhanced through play by allowing children to express their thoughts and feelings. Creative play allows for self-expression and self-confidence, the development of social and problem-solving skills, and encourages children to look at challenges in different ways.