Spend time with your child and explore new things
British parents believe that electronic gaming is having a negative impact on a child's creativity, according to new research, it was followed by the concern of what their friend may think of them.
The education system, family influences and computer work were also cited as barriers to yound mind's creative nous.
The study, commissioned by BIC Kids, also revealed that in today's hective lifestyle, parents can find it hard to find time doing activities with their children - one of the simplest ways to inspire creativity.
From the 2,000 parents surveyed, just 10 per cent spend time each day doing creative activities with their childre. Under a third of parents set time aside to be creative once a week, with two per cent of parents admitting to never doing this.
When ranked on a scale of 1-10, one being the lowest score, 40 per cent of parents gave their children a score of between 1-5 for their creativity. And it seems children are concerned about their drawing abilities too, with a third of primary school aged children confessing concern to their parents about what others will think of their art work. This rated higher than concern about what others think of their appearance and school grades.
When asked what the most important qualities are to instil in children, a third of parents said ‘self-confidence’ and 22 per cent said ‘common sense’. Only 16 per cent thought it was important to instil creativity and imagination in their children.
Angela Anning, Professor of Early Childhood Education, University of Leeds, who is working with BIC Kids, says: “It’s interesting to see that creativity ranked third in what parents perceive to be important qualities to instil in their children. Whilst this is still a high score, the ability for creativity to fire the imagination and boost their development can’t be underestimated.
"Creativity, even the simple pleasures if drawing and colouring, instils confidence and helps develop a sense and understanding of our surroundings. It also plays a central part in many careers, so encouraging children to get creative while they’re young will put them in good stead for their future.”
Yolande DeTrogoff, marketing manager at BIC says: “We always like to find out more about how kids and parents like to get creative together. It’s really important for children while they’re young and we want to make it as simple, safe and fun as we can. It’s great to see that the simple pleasures of colouring and drawing still ranked as one of the number one most enjoyable activity these school holidays, ahead of video games and TV.”
Angela Anning offers parents her top five tips to boost kids’ creativity:
1. Be interested in your children's creativity and join in on the playfulness
2. Create the time and space for children to be creative - at the kitchen table, in front of the tv, in the bath...wherever.
3. Vary the resources your children have to play creatively according to their ages – paint, felt tips, puppets, small figures, boxes, fabrics, wooden spoons, etc.
4. Tune into your children's individual stories and interests and talk about them - animals, monsters, fairies, engines, cars, etc.
5. Have fun together exploring music, dancing, painting, drawing, stories and playing.