How To Set the Stage For Creativity

We’ve talked about the things we want our kids to be doing more of and the need for creativity in the home, but how, practically speaking, do we make these things actually happen? There are many obstacles to creativity that we have addressed over the last couple of weeks, and we need to consider solutions for them if we want to raise creative kids.

I want you to focus here on creating an environment that inspires creativity. We are going to look at what supplies you actually need, how to organize them, and how to make them accessible to your kids.

1. Change your mindset about what’s needed for creativity. The amount of marketing aimed at parents has become borderline ridiculous. Not only do we have one side telling us our kids need flashy toys and more screens, but there’s also another side (largely inspired by movements like Montessori and Waldorf) that wants us to buy all wooden toys, multi-colored play silks, and child-sized supplies for everything. While none of these things are necessarily wrong to spend our money on, I’m going to argue that they aren’t NEEDED. Creativity is all about using what you have: the most creative moments I have in the kitchen are when I force myself to invent something with the ingredients already filling my pantry and fridge; the most fun moments my kids have experienced outside are with nothing but a pile of dirt and some water. My favorite supplies for creating are white computer paper and empty cardboard boxes. My mom loves to surprise the kids with new reams of computer paper and blank notebooks and it’s always one of their favorite gifts. Sometimes they’ll ask for empty egg cartons or the sale flyer that came in the mail because they have a specific project in mind. We will often give them basic craft supplies at holidays and birthdays; every kid loves having their own stash of pipe cleaners, googly eyes, and pom poms. As far as toys go, I try to think of items they can play with in many different ways. These are often called active toys, as opposed to passive toys which can only be played with one way (think that battery-operated vacuum cleaner, or the robot dog that sings a song when you push a button). Active toys could include trains and trucks, dolls, dress-up clothes, legos, magnatiles, small animals and people like would go in a doll house, and food and dishes like you would use in a play kitchen. I really think that less is more here; if you find that your kids aren’t playing well, you may want to try cutting back on how many toys they have. You can experiment with this by simply packing away some things for a little while and seeing if they ask for anything specifically. When I first did this with my kids several years ago, I was shocked by how much better they played.

2. Be proactive about what is accessible to who. If, like me, you have a variety of ages that include toddlers, you will obviously want to keep anything dangerous or disastrous out of reach (paint, scissors, permanent markers, etc.). But I do find it helpful to keep most craft supplies within reach of my older kids. Our older girls always ask permission the first couple of times they use a craft supply, but if we consistently say yes, then they will usually start grabbing it without permission, which is fine with me. I want my kids to see creativity as a natural part of their day, and, realistically, I simply don’t have time in the day to pause constantly and help them access what they need. One exception to this: if I notice that something is getting misused a lot, then I will sometimes put it out of reach for a bit. We go through at least two reams of computer paper a month just using it for arts and crafts; but sometimes certain children will get lazy with their paper use and grab huge stacks of it all at once, then not use all of it. But when the paper doesn’t get put back it inevitably gets crumpled or torn and ends up being wasted. We have also learned the hard way to not set out everything at once, as it encourages them to not go through it so quickly.

3. Use bins as limits. We have one basket that holds random craft supplies. I’ll sometimes set aside things that we need for a specific, school-related craft, but otherwise all the random bits and bobs go in here. If it’s full, then that means it’s time to purge. I’ve learned that if we want creativity to actually happen, then we can’t keep too much stuff. Other, more specific areas, still have limits: I have one small basket for all the bottles of paint; one drawer for colored paper; one basket for white paper; pens, pencils, and coloring supplies all have their designated homes they live in. And, if you feel like you’re drowning in coloring apparatus (markers, crayons, colored pencils) then try throwing everything in one basket. I toss the flimsy boxes those things come in and just throw everything in together; I don’t even keep the fancy crayon caddies, because my kids just don’t manage them well. A large basket is the simplest way to keep everything together, especially for younger kids. My older girls have special art sets that they keep put up when not in use, and the younger ones aren’t allowed access to these, but for toddlers and preschoolers, one spot is the way to go. Periodically we go through it and toss dried out markers with missing lids, broken crayons (because despite the adage about “broken crayons still color” I have yet to meet a preschooler who will, actually, color with them), and twistables that are out of lead. 

If you feel like your home is lacking creativity, start small with a few simple items: leave a bin of white paper and a basket of crayons out where they’re easily accessed; move the lego bin to where your kids can reach it; the next time your kid is bored, hand them a cardboard box and suggest they make a pirate ship, doll house, or lemonade stand. Watch your kids' creativity come to life, then you can begin tweaking the organization as it best helps your family.