Tapping into Your Child's Artistic Side

The best way to encourage a child's creativity is to provide him with the necessary arts and crafts materials, and then back off.

Of course, that doesn't mean you should ignore what your child is doing for fear of stifling his creativity. It's OK to do crafts right alongside him, provided you're prepared to follow his lead. Supporting his creativity in this way isn't merely fun for you, by the way: It's also good for your child. Studies have shown that children whose parents participate in their creative activities tend to develop larger vocabularies and more advanced cognitive abilities than kids whose parents sit on the sidelines.

That said, there's a fine line between being involved and taking over the activity. Contrary to what many parents believe, it's not necessary to "teach" your child how to do art by helping, correcting or making suggestions to improve the quality of the final product. After all, it's the process more than the quality of the final product that is likely to capture his attention.

If your child comes up with unconventional ways of using his art materials, do what you can to encourage that free thinking. Let him know that you think his idea about painting with pipe cleaners is really cool! (Of course, there will be times when you have to gently redirect your child's artistic endeavors—like if he decides that the living room curtains would benefit from some colorful splashes of red paint.) And don't be afraid to suggest some alternative uses for art supplies yourself.

Of course, a willingness to allow your child free artistic rein doesn't necessarily guarantee that he'll develop a passion for art. Some young children—particularly those of the exceptionally wiggly variety—don't want anything to do with crafts.

If you have a child who turns his nose up at crafts, your best bet is to wait a few weeks or months before trying to whet his interest in art again. You might, for example, try squirting a few different colors of liquid paint into a zip-lock bag along with a bit of cooking oil and then showing your child how to "finger paint" by squishing the paint around. This type of activity is likely to have greater appeal for a particularly active child than an art activity that absolutely has to be enjoyed while sitting down.