How often do your kids get to spend being creative? Many parents are reluctant to allow too much creative play due to the amount of mess it creates. However, did you know that creative play is crucial to your child’s development?
There are ways to keep mess to a minimum when partaking in creative outlets. Here, you’ll discover why creativity is crucial, and some of the best ways to encourage it without worrying about the mess.
The importance of creative play
In this technical age, it’s become less common for kids to spend time being creative. Instead, they spend a lot of time either watching TV or playing on smartphones and tablets. The trouble is, creativity is essential in their development
According to numerous research, creative play helps kids to develop social, emotional and mental skills. It’s also known to teach resourcefulness and helping to develop fine motor skills. They learn all of the core skills such as science and math. These are just some of the reasons creative play is essential in childhood. The question is, how can you nurture creativity without the mess?
Setting up a mess free area
There are ways you can create a mess-free creativity area in the home. While you can’t eliminate all mess, you can at least keep it to a minimum.
Start by having a dedicated craft space. This is basically a small area of the home which will be dedicated to creative play. It could be an area in your child’s bedroom, or in the lounge. You’ll want a place such as a chest of drawers to store craft supplies. Then, cover the floor with a sheet or something you wouldn’t mind getting dirty. Give your child their own little crafts table they can work on. This will really help to keep the mess to a minimum.
Great creative play ideas
So, now you know the importance of creative play and you’ve got a dedicated space set up, what sort of activities can you encourage?
Creating homemade cards is always a great idea. That way, if you’ve forgotten to buy a card from your kids, they can simply give their homemade ones. You can also just let them express themselves with kid-friendly painting. Did you know you can even find wallpaper which can be coloured in? This will provide hours of creative fun. You’ll also find a huge range of creative play ideas online. Having a list of go-to activities ensures you always have something for your kids to do on rainy days.
So, if you limit creative play because of the mess it can create, follow the tips above to keep mess to a minimum. Creative play is essential for your child’s development so it should be encouraged, not avoided.