Are you a creative person? Have you passed your creativity down to your kids? Are you looking for more creative activities for families like yours that you can do together?
Creativity is an important part of family life. It brings calm, peace, serenity, and a sense of accomplishment from a project well done. Parents who practice creative pursuits show kids firsthand the importance of beauty and art, how to complete tasks, and how to appreciate the beauty and diversity in the world. Kids who are creative are better problem solvers and critical thinkers. As you can see, it’s important for families to be creative.
So, what have you made lately? What creative pursuit have you enjoyed, either on your own or as a family?
I don’t have to tell you that creativity can take on a myriad of forms. From music to art to dance to gardening to woodworking, creativity abounds. Creative activities for families lead to stability, deeper connections, enhanced communication, and high levels of joy. As a mom with teens I say yes to all those things, don’t you?
But don’t think you or your kids have to be amazing artists or sculptors to be considered creative. Studies say that it’s not just raw talent that matters. It’s also experience. People who watch others doing creative things often get a boost of creativity themselves. Therefore, it’s important for your kids, of all ages, to see you flexing your creativity muscles and then try it for themselves.
So, when is the last time you were creative in some way? No, not just with your hair because you hadn’t showered, I mean really creative like you made something, fashioned something, dug down deep, and created something beautiful?
If you haven’t done this lately, it’s time!
Why creativity matters
Creativity is essential to a well-rounded and satisfying life. That’s why we love Pinterest right? Moms need to be creative. Dads need to be creative too.
Creativity shows our kids that beauty and art matter. It shows them first-hand that using your mind and your hands to make something has value. It reinforces the idea that hand-made is good, earthy, and almost primal. It soothes the soul and makes for a happy heart.
Creativity also helps develop critical thinking skills, divergent thinking abilities (the ability to look at a problem from multiple angles,) and dexterity. They say people who create have more gray matter in their brains (read here: they’re smarter) and higher levels of serotonin, which keeps the body balanced mentally and physically. And who doesn’t want that, especially with teens in the house?
How to be creative
The possibilities for being creative are almost endless. You can do so many things individually and even more as a family.
In our #RealFunFamily creativity comes in all forms. Big Dad ties flies. Mom designs and builds things. One kid is an accomplished musician and talented photographer. The other oozes artistic ability. Together we make music, paint, and cook.
My husband is a fly fisherman who creates unique patterns and ties wonderful flies on small hooks. They are not only artistic they are also useful. He uses color and varying materials from feathers to fur to shiny thread. It’s an amazing process to watch and an even bigger thrill to catch a 15-pound steelhead on one of his creations.
You know who sees dad working at his fly-tying table and wants to copy him? My son. He’s got his own vice, thread, scissors, and supplies. He watches his dad and tries and fails and tries again. It’s all part of the creative process for him.
He and his dad also play guitar together. They make their own music, noodling around on the strings until they find a riff that suits them and then they go to town. There’s always a lot of music happening in our house.
My daughter is an artist and a singer. Her art decorates our walls. I build things, cook, create blogs, and design graphics.
All these outlets function as ways for us to be creative. They keep us from becoming stagnant, from wasting time in front of the television or on our devices. Our creative endeavors allow us to move, change, and grow both inside and out. The focus then comes off of us and our problems and is transferred to the project at hand, how to make it beautiful, useful, or delicious.
Your creative outlet may be something totally different and way outside the box. Cool.
When I was a kid my parents had a friend. To me, he was just a friend of the family. To everyone else, he was a famous football player who knocked guys on their tails for a living.
The thing was he was afraid to fly. That wasn’t so good because professional football players need to ride in airplanes to do their jobs. So, he took up a hobby to keep himself calm, needlepoint.
That’s right, this ginormous football player made beautiful pillows and wall hangings with needle and thread. Seriously, the dude understood the need for creativity. He knew exactly how focusing on something beautiful and different from his normal “job” could calm him, make him more relaxed, and do wonders for his mental stability. I’m not one to argue with him either. Are you?
{Source: Rosy Grier’s Needle Point For Men}
You’ve got something you like to do, don’t you? Maybe you used to do it in junior high or learned it as an elective in college. Perhaps it’s something you’ve actually never done but would really like to try. How many times have your kids seen you actually do it? Are they seeing you be creative?
Well, what are you waiting for?
Go out there and get your creativity on.
Let the juices start to flow and make it happen.
Get the supplies you need.
Sign up for a class.
Find a group of other people who like to do what you like and make something beautiful.
Give yourself permission to get away from your normal routine and create something awesome. You know it will do wonders for your mental health and of course, we all know that when mama’s happy, everybody’s happy.
And the rest of your family can be happy too. Encourage creativity in your home. Set the example and then encourage your kids to get creative too.
When you realize it’s important for your family to be creative you start to seek out ways to practice and participate in creative activities for families, just like yours.
Creative activities for families abound. Here are some options:
- Cook
- Bake
- Sew
- Paint
- Sing
- Play an instrument
- Garden
- Decorate
- Write poetry
- Take pictures
- Tie flies
- Do needlepoint
- Create graphic designs
- Shoot videos
- Build a fort
- Paint a room
- Design a welcoming space
- Refurbish a dresser
- Make a lamp out of something old
- Build a Lego city
The opportunities are endless. It doesn’t matter what you do, just do something. Go get on Pinterest if you need inspiration and then be creative.
I can’t wait to see what you create. Please, share it with me here or in my group on Facebook. I might even feature you on my page.
So, what is it you do to be creative?
Photo by Rahul Jain on Unsplash
Photo by Duncan Kidd on Unsplash
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