Message to Parents

How to Develop Creative Skills in Children

Dr. Zuhur Ahmad Danish Attari Madani

Children are the best capital of people. They are the greatest hub of our hopes and dreams. Who from amongst us can even imagine a bad future for our children. We must remember that a good future for our children will not come about merely through wishes and hopes; a clear plan of action is necessary for this. We will share some tips with you which will aid you in raising your children, making them capable and giving them a creative mindset.

Provide children with material

Give your children resources, such as blocks and toys which they can join and take apart, maps, puzzles, and other such things which can develop their creative skills.

Encourage creative playing

Provide children opportunities to engage in creative play. For example, creating models of sacred sites and historical places and objects. Also, through playing, like girls usually have an interest in sewing clothes and dishes, and boys in arrow making, constructing buildings, making airplanes, etc. Therefore, provide them the opportunity to play such games.

Support diverse thinking

Encourage children to find multiple solutions to problems and search for different viewpoints. Avoid making them focus on only finding the “right” answer. Rather, give them plenty of opportunities to think. Otherwise, they will move from creative thinking to deprived thinking.

Expose them to the arts

Take children to museums, art galleries and labs. This will open their minds.

Give time for playing

Give children time to play; here, they can show their interests, which helps them in feeling independent and utilises their creative skills. They can demonstrate their hidden potential like this too.

Ask open-ended questions

Instead of asking yes or no questions, ask open-ended questions which encourage critical thinking and creative skills. For example, “In your opinion, what would happen if…?” or “How would you solve this problem?” This will develop the skill of thinking in all aspects.

Encourage experimentation

Provide children with situations where they can learn to take and handle risks, so that they do not feel scared and feel ease in trying new things. Push them to experiment with different viewpoints and methods without the fear of failure.

Read them stories

Read books together and encourage them to write their own stories. This will help improve their imagination and story reading skills.

Provide opportunities for creative expression

Give children opportunities to recite the noble Quran and Prophetic odes, deliver speeches and write, where they can express their abilities with full energy. Remove the mindset of admonishment over every little matter and always winning. Give them opportunities to say and do things.

Celebrate creativity

Recognise and express joy upon the creative efforts and successes of children. This will increase their confidence and help them maintain their search for creative interests.

Remember, every child is unique, so it is necessary to provide different experiences and opportunities to develop their creative skills.

We hope that this article proved to be a source of beneficial information for you.