6 strategies to boost creative thinking in kids

Creativity is an important skill that is required to ensure success in any field, be it in entrepreneurship, problem solving, STEM learning or an artistic pursuit. Sparking that creativity and keeping it alive, however, are big challenges. There a few principles of this cognitive faculty, which, if followed, can help your children stay on track even when they face challenges. Encourage your little ones to follow these principles to keep the creative spark alive. 

Move past the mental block 
The biggest hindrance to letting ourselves think creatively and innovatively is believing that we are incapable of it. Comparing ourselves with someone we perceive to be an artistic genius only leads to restrictions. We are only as creative as we believe ourselves to be. 

Putting in the work 
While there are different capabilities and patterns of thinking that each of us are born with, relying on ‘natural talent’ isn’t going to cut it. Developing new and different ideas requires patience and perseverance. Not all ideas will be good and not all will reach fruition. Motivate your child to put in efforts for out-of-the-box thinking every day. This is the only way to improve.  

Break away from established patterns 
Our brains are dynamic in our patterns of thinking. Most often, a pre-existing idea or process takes over as a default pattern which leads to a creative block. We thrive on creative energy that results from experiences, real or fictional. In fact, emotions that we haven’t experienced in reality, but have a mere perception of them, can have the same effect on our thinking. Inspire your child to use this to their advantage. There are many ways in which new details and nuances can be drawn. 

Unlearn binary thinking 
When it comes to creativity, there are no right and wrong answers. Your child must know that no idea is immediately irrelevant to the challenge before us. Therefore, they must not be dismissed and evaluated as they occur. This self-censorship kills more potential than it generates. 

Embrace failure and turn it into an advantage 
Whether an idea pans out well or not, the results produced are never a waste. It is what we do with that result that matters more. Help your child learn from them and find out what didn’t work and why.  

Understand subjectivity 
There are no objective truths. Everything we perceive is influenced by who we are, what we believe, and our experiences. Similarly, everything we create will be influenced by what we perceive. The reaction of the audience to what we create will also be the reflection of how they perceive a subject, situation or incident. Make sure your budding creative genius is aware of this reality when she sets out for her creative journey.