The 8 Easiest Ways to Develop Creativity in Toddlers and Preschoolers

Creativity is a skill that will set children up for adulthood. Now, more than ever before, it is so important for a child to develop a creative brain, if he or she is to succeed in this world.

Jobs and careers are changing and it may soon become necessary to stand out from the crowd in order to find any kind of job as we move closer to technology replacing people. This highlights the importance of creativity in the early years.

So, when is the best time to develop your child’s creativity?

The early childhood years are the time when learning is at its peak. Learning is effortless and it lasts a lifetime. What a child learns in these years will set them up for their entire school career and life as an adult.

Use these simple tips to encourage creativity in preschoolers and toddlers.

Creativity is not just about art. It is also about how a child thinks and solves problems, comes up with ideas, explores and creates opportunities.

Here are 8 very simple ways to encourage creative development in early childhood.

1. Read to Your Child

Reading is always at the top of my list because it is one of the best gifts you can give your children. There are so many benefits of reading to your children.

It will develop their language, vocabulary, problem-solving skills, imagination, emotional intelligence, and many, many more things.

Reading also provides an opportunity for asking your children questions and developing their thinking skills. Another great activity is to make up a story, ask your child to predict an ending, or “read” the story to you from the pictures.

Reading basically places the whole world and all its stories in your child’s hands. That is a good base for building creativity!

2. Make Time for Creative Art

Art is a great place to start when stimulating creativity. All children are drawn toward creating their own artwork.

There are so many materials to choose from. Keep the activities varied and allow time for art that focuses on the process every day.

Here are a few examples of creative activities:

• Drawing with wax crayons, pencils, pens, chalk, etc.
• Painting – including finger painting, bubble painting, painting with brushes and sponges, etc.
• Cutting, tearing, pasting and collaging

The only requirement when working on building actual creativity is to allow the art to be free. Store-bought activities and art kits can be fun occasionally but shouldn’t be the norm. Colouring books are not in the least bit creative.

Your child should usually start with a blank canvas and a mind full of ideas.

3. Encourage Construction

Construction is one of my favourite activities and one I always made time for in my classroom.

There are two types specifically that I would recommend:

• Box construction
• Construction with blocks, toys, pillows in the living room, etc.

Box construction involves creating things out of waste materials and glue/tape. I have seen some of the most incredible structures being built by some very tiny people.

It is amazing what they will do when they have to try and figure out how to make the wing of the plane stay on, or how to add a ramp for the car to slide down.

Real creative play is beautiful to watch.

Again, the store-bought build-a-something kit is cool but your children are not nearly as invested and creative as they are when building their own things, from scratch.

Have you watched children making a fort or a tent out of blankets and chairs (you probably remember doing that yourself as a child)? Not quite the same learning as the ready-made tent, is it?

As for building with lego, blocks or other construction toys – these will also keep your child occupied for hours and will require a lot of creative brainpower. 

4. Control Screen Time

Watching television requires no creativity, no thinking, no engagement – just passively staring at images that are flashing at such a rapid speed your brain is not really able to process them.

According to this article by Healthline, a large study shows that too much screen time can negatively affect children’s thinking and language abilities.

Obviously, it is unrealistic to remove this activity entirely (screen time is a life-saver when I’m trying to cook dinner or if I just need some time for my sanity) but check in frequently on how much is being watched and throw in an educational program occasionally.

Or better yet, try something new like listening to a reading of a popular book on YouTube, without showing the screen. I played the reading of The Gruffalo for my daughter and she fetched her book and paged through it while listening.

This transforms what would have been “numbing” screen time, into an excellent listening activity.

Any activity whatsoever that you engage in – reading, art, playing, chatting, cooking – is going to stimulate more creative thought than TV.

5. Let Children Plan Playdates

Do you have a list of fun activities for your child and their friend to do during their playdates?

Why? Did your parents plan every game you played as a child? Do you think they won’t have fun if you don’t take them out and find things for them to do?

The best thing you can do is disappear and check in on them in case they get too quiet!

They will be inventing games, arguing, resolving arguments, making up rules, negotiating those rules, creating things and lots more. They’ll be learning. Let go and let your children plan their own playdates.

6. Don’t Solve All Their Problems

One of the best ways to encourage creativity in toddlers and preschoolers is to allow them to solve their own problems where possible.

By intervening too quickly, you may get a quick fix to the problem but your child has learned no skills. They haven’t found a way to fix the issue or solve it creatively.

Try not to become your kids’ default solution to any problem. This is not going to help their adult selves one day.

They need to develop independence so they can think for themselves and come up with solutions frequently.

Is your toddler struggling to remove their t-shirt or trying to find something to stand on so they can steal the biscuit they’ve spotted on the countertop? Wait a while and see if they resolve their problem before jumping in to fix it.

When my daughter would try to put on her clothes or climb onto the toilet seat that she could barely reach, she would get angry if I tried to help, responding with a firm “I will do it by myself!”

She made it quite clear that independence was her goal and I dared not interfere.

7. Let Kids Resolve Conflict Independently

Conflict resolution is a big part of life and who better to practise it with than close friends, siblings or other family members?

You want your children to stand up to others, be assertive, and learn to manage conflict sensibly.

If you have more than one child, let them learn these skills with each other and resolve conflicts in the safety of their home.

It will be necessary to intervene at times, but the rest of the time let them battle it out and use their solutions as a way to discuss how they are handling situations.

If your child is an only child, they will practise these skills with parents, relatives and friends. Be supportive but don’t take away their right to learn how to manage on their own.

8. Encourage Free Play.

Play is very serious business. It is the way children learn everything and anything, especially creativity.

If your young children are not spending time playing every day, they are missing out.

They do not need to come home to a long list of extra classes and activities just because they played at school. They also need hours of free play at home, indoors and outdoors, to experiment and learn.

These are just a few activities to promote creativity in preschoolers.