Many of us are mothers, carers or have little ones in our lives. And what a huge job it is to know that you are a great influence in this little person's life.
In the traditional sense, children learn all sorts of skills, as well as behaviour by interacting with others at school. Some schools even encourage children in their weekly, or daily art exploration.
Here are some ways you can help those little beings in your life to continue the process of creation at home, where they are most relaxed and are available to create what they enjoy:
- Offer a base from which the child can grow, such as discussing with them your own creative childhood adventures with the paintbrush, the mud pies or the lego.
- Let them colour, but let them go outside the lines :) How often have we been told to colour within the lines? Perhaps that statement really meant something deeper.
- Get excited about rites of passage, religious/pagan festivals, birthdays, etc. and start a project for one with your child. Having a date to work towards encourages the child to finish their project.
- Encourage your child to go handmade at gift giving times. Bring back the importance of having a gift which means something, rather than one you give with a receipt in case it's wrong.
- With Autumn here, go frolicking in the falling leaves and plan a project for the cooler months with your child. You'd be amazed with what they can see when finding objects.
- Most importantly, display your children's work. Not only will they be proud of something they have created, it will encourage them to create more. Of course, the many pages they give us with 'I love you mum' or 'this is me this is mum this is dad this is cat' don't always fit on the fridge! Perhaps sit down one day and collate these with your child into a big book they can always add to or flip through. And presto you have a history of their work, and can see their artistic growth through the years.
Spread creativity to your children and enjoy your little beings!
Lin x
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