In our techno-age, it can sometimes seem like a struggle to get our kids to unglue themselves from the various screens that dominate our homes and lives, and become excited about creating. Countless studies have shown that boosting creativity in your child’s development leads to greater health and happiness, and what better way is there to get your child to create than scrapping down with a bit of DIY. The following are some tips to get your kids up off the sofa and into the workshop!
Make Something Your Child Wants
This could be a box for their toys, a desk for their room, even the most boring of DIY tasks: shelves. But the important thing is to make it fun. Allow your child to design exactly what they want – this can be as wacky or elaborate as they like – encourage them to use their imagination. Obviously, you are not about to build together a SpongeBob shaped cupboard. But you can try together to see how to incorporate your child’s ideas into something achievable.
Go shopping together for the materials, the wood, the paint etc. so your child can be part of the whole process. As they watch their design come to life, they will surely be enchanted by the magic of creation, of seeing an idea in their head materialize as a fully 3D object, one they will surely treasure and feel inordinately proud of.
Get a Kit
Another way to drum up interest is to get your child a DIY kit. These range from furniture to clocks to chemistry sets to radios, remote control planes and so on. Your child will benefit from the patience and practical thinking required to assemble it, while also catching the creativity bug big time. Again, the process of watching something come from nothing can be extremely gratifying, no matter your age.
In addition to this, you can always buy your child some tools. Tools which are theirs. They will likely be pleased to have such a grown-up present, yet there are many age-appropriate kits available which come in different colours and themes.
Get Crafty!
It’s no secret that children love arts and crafts, once the X-box has firmly been put away. As with making furniture with your child, next time you need a fancy dress costume, or something else artsy for whatever project or party, make it together with your child. Design it together, shop for materials together and create together! There is really no better way to instill a passion for do-it-yourself projects in your kid than to start early and keep on doing it!