Thank you Moose Toys for sponsoring this post. Get crafty with your kiddo and make “ooniements” with Oonies by Moose Toys this holiday season!
I love doing arts and crafts, and I’m grateful to have a mini-me who enjoys doing it with me. Together on a nice day, you can find us on the deck with our craft supplies crafting up a storm. Madison, however, enjoys it just a little bit more than I do and I encourage her creativity. It doesn’t matter whether she’s drawing her famous artwork or just making a mess, after all she’s a child and that’s just what kids do, they make messes. Today however, I want to share with you four ways you can inspire and embrace your child’s creativity.
Madison would come home daily from Kindergarten with drawings that she’s done in school. Whether it’s our Colorado mountaintops, or just her kindergarten playground, she loves to tell her stories in art form. Speaking of art, Madison recently drew the entire family on my dining room walls, and while I wanted to put her in a box forever, I knew that it was just her being a kid and I’m pretty sure that I’ve done worse. That’s why I was happy when we received Oonies. Not only are Oonies the coolest way to create, but they are also entirely mess free. Madison can get as creative as she wants, all without the mess. Which parent doesn’t enjoy not having to clean up after a busy day? I know I do! So how can you inspire and embrace your child’s creativity, with the help of Oonies?
Provide the resources.
Kids need unstructured and imaginative play time. However, without the required tools, there’s no way your child can be creative. Provide them with the space they need so they can work on their creative ideas. You can designate a play area for drawing, reading and even for making messes. Have paper towel, crayons, paper and even dress up clothing, anything that they can work with and allow them to be themselves. Or if you prefer no mess like I do, then consider Oonies. Kids create Oonies by placing a pellet in the inflator and you get to watch it magically transform into an Oonie. You can even stick Oonies to each other to create amazing creatures and designs, which leads me to my next point…
Praise and encourage, don’t judge
Kids love praise and encouragement, so judging their creative ideas can ultimately lower their self-esteem. I can’t begin to tell you how many times that Madison has created artwork, and I’m at a loss. When something like that happens, I instead ask her to describe it to me. For example, Madison recently created a cat with her Oonies, and instead of saying “that looks nothing like a cat”, I exclaimed instead “wow, that’s really original, I like it!” She beamed from ear to ear and said “I’m going to make more”.
Encourage their ideas and allow them the freedom to build on them
Remember this is all about your child and not you. Let your child create what they want, in whatever way that they want. While you can give a few ideas, be open to your child’s ideas as well. Don’t discourage them by telling them that it wouldn’t work or that it’s impossible. Creating the impossible is what creativity is all about. Children create best when they’re having fun, and they’re not going to have any fun if you’re breathing down their necks, or being the commentator at a sports event, pointing out all their mistakes and faults.
Embrace their mistakes
We all make mistakes and you need to remember that your child isn’t Picasso, and neither are you. You weren’t born coloring in the lines, so just let it go. Making our own mistakes is how we all learn and we’re all allowed to make a few mistakes every now and then.
Here’s a bonus tip!
It’s ok to be a kid!
Sometimes we get so caught up in being an adult that we forget what it’s like to be a kid.Oonies can help bring that spark back. Create your own ideas. Madison and I have been having fun creating Oonies creatures and she even made an Oonies ornament for our tree, and I have to say that it blended right in.
Consider getting Oonies for your kids for the new year and get their creativity going in 2018!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
