A Guide to the Best Toys for Inspiring Creativity in Children
In today’s electronic world, many parents find their children simply consuming media rather than using their healthy young minds and limitless imagination in creative ways. But many parents hit a mental dead-end when they try to conjure up ways to keep their children involved and excited while also stimulating individual creativity. Not all children have the same creative outlets, so you may have to try different activities, toys and games until you find the perfect fit for your child’s unique creative style. Below we have listed the best toys and activities for inspiring creativity in children, most of which can be tweaked and customized for your particular situation.
Puppet Theater – There are several commercial puppet theaters which can be purchased online, but a large furniture box and some handmade sock puppets is all you need to create a home-based stage where you watch your child blossom into a young actor/director/puppeteer. This boosts creativity, imagination and motor skill development, as well as interaction with other children.
Painting Kits for Children – Painting kits and supplies can be purchased for very little money, and while they obviously have the potential for being very messy, they are great for identifying the creative little artist hiding inside your child. Whether you discover that you have a little Picasso on your hands, or your child simply enjoys rudimentary painting, the actual exercise of painting has been shown to stimulate brain wave activity in ways that very few other activities can.
Digital Camcorder – We are not talking a $1,000 model here. There are digital camcorders made specifically for children which are easy to operate, very inexpensive, and can help unleash the Steven Spielberg in your child. The ability to communicate effectively is a foundation which will help your child at every stage of his or her life, and encouraging the creative capture of video memories and the creation of unique stories will positively affect your child’s self-esteem as well.
Children’s Baking Set and/or Oven – This is a toy which inspires supreme creativity in children, and is unique in that it is attractive to both young boys and girls. While you probably will not be able to build your own kids baking set, there are plenty of well-known, safe and popular retail choices available. Aside from spurring creativity and self-expression, a children’s baking set (either with or without a kids oven) will pay creative dividends over a lifetime of cooking in the kitchen.
Kid Crafts – The number of arts and craft-based toys and kits available for children is as limitless as your child’s imagination. From a simple shoebox activity kit to creating artwork with dried rice and pasta, craft-based toys and activities will always be perfect for inspiring creativity in your children. There are several all-in-one arts and craft kits designed specifically for getting your kids creative juices flowing, many are very inexpensively priced, and some may provide just the spark needed for a lifetime of creative output.
Children often surprise with their incredible insight, and many have awesomely gifted minds which are home to creative skills that may remain stagnant if not inspired. Try introducing a few of the creativity-inducing toys and activities mentioned above into your child’s playtime activities, watch closely for signs of interest or boredom, and keep delivering stimulating choices until you find the perfect outlet for your child’s unique creative muse.
