Parents can nurture creativity by providing age-appropriate, open-ended materials; encouraging experimentation; asking open-ended questions; using storytelling and role play; praising effort; and balancing digital tools. Regular reflection and playful prompts help children turn curiosity into problem-solving skills they'll use throughout life.
Children bring fresh ways of seeing the world. As a parent, you can protect and grow that curiosity so it becomes a lifelong habit of learning and problem solving.
Create a stimulating, age-appropriate environment
Offer materials and spaces that match your child's developmental stage: blocks, crayons, clay, loose parts, books, dress-up clothes, and safe outdoor areas. Rotate materials regularly so choices feel new. Keep open-ended items - things that can be used in many ways - at hand; they invite more creative use than single-purpose toys.
Encourage exploration and experimentation
Let children try ideas even when they fail. Small experiments - mixing colors, building towers, inventing a game - teach iteration: try, notice, adjust. Resist giving step-by-step directions unless safety requires it. When you do step in, ask questions that nudge thinking rather than taking over.
Ask open-ended questions and give playful prompts
Use prompts that expand thinking: "What else could this be?" or "How many ways can we use this?" Invite story completions or "what if" scenarios: "What would happen if trees could talk?" These prompts build flexible thinking and imagination.
Use storytelling, role play, and creative materials
Tell part of a story and ask your child to finish it. Turn a daily routine into a game. Role play helps children rehearse social ideas and experiment with emotions and solutions. Encourage drawing, model-making, or simple coding tools that let kids create rather than just consume.
Respect effort, not just outcomes
Praise persistence, curiosity, and original ideas rather than only correct answers. Say things like, "I like how you tried three different ways," or "Tell me how you thought of that." That reinforces risk-taking and creative confidence.
Help children reflect on strengths and next steps
After an activity, ask what worked, what surprised them, and what they'd try differently. Reflection turns play into learning and helps children recognise their own strengths and areas to practice.
Balance screens and tools thoughtfully
Digital tools can support creativity if they let children make (stories, art, simple games) instead of only consuming. Limit passive screen time and prioritize hands-on, open-ended play.
Small habits, big effects
Daily routines that include time for free play, creative prompts, and shared excitement about discovery keep creativity alive. By watching and joining your child's experiments, you learn how they think - and help them develop skills that matter in school and beyond.