My Five Favorite Books to Stir Up Your Child(ren)’s Creativity and Imagination
It
doesn’t matter what the topic is, books are always a great tool for getting
through to your child. Try incorporating these titles into your story time to
inspire your child(ren).
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson –
This book is a classic! Through Harold’s story, children learn how it is
possible to find excitement in the art they create. After reading this book
with your child(ren), ask them to draw a picture then have them tell you a
story about the picture they made. Be sure to document what they say. This is a
great way to incorporate teaching literacy skills into their art time. They
will love seeing their words come to life on paper and practicing reading the
stories they made up.
Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg: One of the great lessons art has to offer is
that it is possible to make mistakes beautiful. Sometimes a mistake can be
transformed into the most interesting part of a picture.
Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty and David
Roberts: Talk about a fun, rhyming story! The book’s main character, Iggy Peck,
demonstrates creativity and determination in a way that children are sure to enjoy
and even be inspired by. Creativity doesn’t always have to be exercised with
traditional art materials. Building with blocks and Legos also involve an
element of creativity. Ask your child to draw a picture of the structure they
want to build or to draw a picture of the creation they already made. Also have
them try building with materials they wouldn’t expect like recycled containers
and materials or Model Magic with objects from nature. These types of
unexpected challenges will only fuel their creative thinking skills.
The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds: This lovable story shows us how imagination
can flourish from just the simplest mark. Rather than over think, it encourages
children to just begin with a simple stroke or mark and to go with the flow
from there. This concept can be
translated into a fun game with you kid(s) by taking turns adding small
markings to a picture you are creating together. Without discussing what it is,
the process will be exciting for both you to see where it goes and what you
come up with. Try this game on your next airplane or car trip or even while
waiting at a restaurant.
The Artist Who Painted A Blue Horse by Eric Carle: Eric Carle paints a beautiful picture of the
kind of beautiful adventure your imagination can take you on and shows his
readers how much fun using your imagination to draw things your own way can be.
Appreciate and encourage children to experiment presenting the subjects of
their pieces in colors or ways you wouldn’t normally see them in real life; a
blue dog for example or a horse wearing clothes.
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