Encourage kids' creativity

(page 2 of 2)

• "Neat choice"
• "What are you thinking of there?"
• "Wow, you are really working hard on this!"
• "Your ideas are very exciting"

Chansky also says that kids often make "sweeping conclusions" about things about which they are unhappy, and you need to reassure them that their conclusions aren't correct. Help the child figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. For example, a child may say "I'm bad writing or I'm bad at art." Chansky suggests you counter with, "Not being able to draw things the first time around doesn't make you a bad artist." She suggests you communicate with a frustrated child this way: "I know you want to make those flowers, and they are hard! I bet other artists had to work hard to figure out how to make the petals the way they like them. Do you think they got it on the first -- or even the 10th -- try?"

• Make costumes
• Have a puppet show
• Interview historic people
• Act out historical events
• Bring out the maps
• Make a game of dates
• Read. Read. Read!
• Combine art with history

• Read! [Notice a trend here?]
• Have a dance party and encourage your children to write their own songs.
• Paint like Jackson Pollack and cover the grass with large pieces of paper or canvas.
• Build a fort or go camping at home.