Why Creativity Is Essential for Kids and 12 Simple Ways to Encourage It at Home

How you can help your child explore their creativity in just a few minutes

Whether you notice it or not, the world rewards the creative. Those who can solve problems in a new way. Those who wonder if this is the best it will get. It’s how we went from sending letters to phones to now smartphones. It’s how we have grocery stores. Cars instead of horse-drawn carriages. It's why we can take a plane to visit families who live across the world. Creativity allows someone to look at a problem and wonder if there is a better solution.

Did you know that 98% of 5-year-olds are labeled a creative genius? By ten, only 30% are. And by the time we’re adults, only 2% of people are creative geniuses. Unfortunately, we know traditional schooling takes away creativity. As schools focus on rote memorization, we stifle the creativity we are born with.

With budget cuts to the arts and a decline in play, we are watching students lose their spark. But does it even matter? Does creativity matter in adulthood? And the answer to that is, of course.

Creativity is one of the many things that make humans unique. Creativity is our ability to problem-solve, it aids in communication and understanding, helps us regulate our emotions, and drives innovation.

Helping your child become more creative doesn’t mean trying to get them to become Van Gogh or the next Steve Jobs. It means letting them know they can change anything, big or small. But how do we encourage creativity?

Here are 12 ways to help your child explore their creativity this week

1. Help them find their passion.

The beauty of creativity is that it can be found in different ways. Encourage you child to explore new hobbies and skills. Spend time with them asking about their interests and passions. What they find interesting may surprise you and themselves.

2. Ask open-ended questions.

Don’t simply ask yes or no questions. Leave room for their ideas. Questions like “ what would happen if …” or “ how else could we do this?” Asking open-ended questions allows kids to build critical thinking and imaginative problem-solving skills. One way we like to do this in class is our challenges, whether asking them to draw a robot that solves one specific problem or having them rebrand Santa Claus. It’s a fun and easy way to get them started on thinking about what if.

3. Make space for mess.

Messy exploration allows creativity to be expressed and improved in new and exciting ways. We love letting our students be messy, as it promotes risk-taking, self-expression, cognitive flexibility, and fine motor coordination. Sometimes the best learning happens in controlled chaos.

4. Let kids be bored.

Having a life schedule filled is convenient, but it’s also overcomplicated. Children need unstructured, screen-free time to explore and create based on their thoughts. Boredom forces children to connect, innovate, and be creative. Boredom creates space for children to explore their surroundings and even their own mind.

5. Model wondering out loud.

We can't expect kids to get better at creativity without modeling it for them. One way is by modeling how to wonder. For instance, while walking, you might ask, “How do birds know where to fly to?” Alternatively, you could look at a board game and wonder how it was created. These can lead to coming up with silly stories together or even research. Curiosity becomes contagious when kids hear it from you.

6. Limit Passive screen time while encouraging creativity tools

I know we live in the age of screens. And it's not always bad. There are great tools to help promote creativity while using technology. Encouraging your child to explore stop motion instead of watching YouTube, or drawing on Procreate instead of scrolling, learning to make music instead of just listening. Show kids how technology can be an excellent tool for imagination, rather than a replacement for it.

7. Celebrate effort, not just outcome

We can stifle creativity with just our feedback. Children look at us for approval. When we give negative comments on their creations, we discourage them from wanting to explore that side of themselves again. When we encourage the risks, not just the results, we shift the focus from perfection to process.

8. Read and riff on stories together

Whether your child is four or fourteen, reading together is a wonderful way to build creativity and bond. But you can take it deeper by inviting them to make changes. Ask them what changes they would have made to the ending or what would happen if the character made a different choice. By engaging in storytelling together, you are sparking narrative thinking and originality

9. Challenge them with real-world problems.

Seeing what kids can come up with when we give them space is exciting. Problem-based creativity taps into their need to feel capable and relevant. Have them work on Home Diy projects with you. Challenge them to come up with dinner ideas with just what's in the pantry. Ask them their opinion on the family schedule. Prating creativity is not just about what they can create with paint, but real world skills.

10. Encourage journaling and sketching

Encouraging creativity isn't only about what they can share with others. It's also about allowing them to get to know themselves. By giving them a private space, you will enable them to explore their inner world, learn to reflect, learn to communicate, and grow in confidence.

11. Support their weirdest idea, without fixing them.

. In our mixed media class, one crucial thing to me was not saying no. If a student wanted to try a new idea or interpretation, I didn’t say no if it wasn’t unsafe. I asked questions to understand, and if they could explain their reasoning, we could devise a way to make it work. When we spend less time on perfection and more time on validation, we permit kids to think outside the box.

12. Talk about creative people—not just artists.

By spending a few minutes a week introducing kids to stories of innovators, we expand their view of what creativity looks like. Creativity is not just painters and poets; it’s entrepreneurs, inventors, engineers, actors, activists, game designers, directors, and so much more.

Encouraging creativity is not about creating great artists, it’s about creating great thinkers. By taking a few minutes everyday you can help your child explore a side of themselves they may have never known they had.

At The Dreamers Kingdom Homeschool, we believe creativity isn’t just a bonus—it’s the foundation for confident, curious, and capable learners. Our hands-on, project-based approach gives children the freedom to explore ideas, express themselves, and grow in ways that traditional methods often overlook. If you're looking for a homeschool program that nurtures your child’s imagination while building real-world skills, we’d love to welcome you. [Learn more about our programs here.]