I have a confession to make. I love creativity. I love crafting. I don’t always love doing it with my kids. I’m terrible. I avoid it because of the mess. Glue is not my friend. My Princess likes to draw with glue, and that drives me bonkers.

I hate putting together great craft projects or finding stuff online to make with them and realize that I am going to have to do majority of it for them to get it finished. Is telling them exactly what to do helpful for their creativity?? I don’t think so. Is finishing it myself helpful for their creativity? Who actually did the project then?

When we got most of the playroom put together (I promise there will be a post someday. We have been waiting to get a couple big things done before writing a post about it. Be patient, please). I put out most of their craft stuff where it was accessible. One day I came into the playroom to a pile of cut up papers glued together. My kids had made their own art time. They were so proud of what they had done. And I had a revelation!

I don’t have to make craft time happen. I don’t have to make an elaborate craft for them to do (or really for me to do for them and put their name on it).

I just have to let them create.

I was making some cards and the kids decided they wanted to do some too. They liked all the stamps and punches.

All I have to do is give them supplies and leave them be. Or make supplies available for when they get the creative inspiration.

Next time you have your kids make a craft, make a vow of. . .
No parameters
No guidelines
No hovering

Just freedom to create whatever they can think of.

Disclaimer: know your child’s limits. If they are known to eat glue or cut their hair with scissors etc. keep a close eye on them but don’t interfere unless safety is an issue. For instance, Miss tickles has not learned how to use scissors yet so I keep those on the higher shelf.

Miss Tickles loves to use markers to draw (even though she sometimes gets carried away and colors on herself).

Some of the most surprising creations have come from just letting my kids do their thing. I don’t want to dictate what they do because, unfortunately, they are most often more creative than I am because I have lost some of that freedom with age and responsibility. Don’t put so much pressure for perfection, pressure to look just like the picture on pinterest, that you stifle the natural creativity of your kids. Some projects are not going to fit with their ability or interest. If we are so set for it to look just right then it’s not going to be fun for anybody.

Ninja Boy had taken a hike with daddy and picked up different leaves and a feather along the path. Without any prompting, he got out the craft supplies and made this!

You’d be surprised some of the things they can come up with by just giving them the supplies and absolute permission to use their own creativity and not have to follow a step by step project all the time.