“Creativity is the ability of a person to create something new and unique (a product, a solution, a work of art, a novel, a joke, etc.) that has some kind of value. What counts as “new” and “valuable” may be in reference to the individual creator, or to the society or domain within which the novelty occurs.
Thus, lateral thinking is counted as important in a creative’s toolbox and for this, one may utilize puzzles as a brain-boosting warm-up activity, a quick and easy team-building exercise, or even as a feel-good self-esteem boost when you’re not having the best day.
The following is a list of some of the popular creative games among children, which can be used to assist your child’s creative side. These are an ideal method to put broad creative talents to use, bringing learning to life and fostering teamwork. All the games listed here demand practical, creative thinking skills and can be used for training and development. Many of these can also be altered as a fun technique to investigate unique difficulties.
Creativity doesn’t come easy! so boost yours with these fun games
While many people believe that gaming applications are only used for amusement, there is another important function of gaming apps. In recent years, game developers have created games that are capable enough to encourage players’ innovation and boost creativity.
1. Little Alchemy
Little Alchemy is a straightforward game in which you begin with four fundamental elements: air, earth, fire, and water. Using these 4 basic elements of nature, you can create recipes for other substances by combining these elements with a bit of imagination.
Combining earth and fire, for example, produces lava. When you mix water with earth(soil), you get mud. Some of the materials require some thought, but you’re unlikely to run out of possibilities with this puzzle: The best part is that Little Alchemy is entirely free.
2. Tetris
This game requires players to make quick decisions due to which they think and stress critical and creative thinking abilities that foster inventiveness. A player’s inventiveness is undoubtedly boosted while rearranging the pieces to make them fit precisely.
Tetris’ goal is to score as many points as possible by removing horizontal lines of Blocks. Inside the Matrix, the player must rotate, move, and drop the falling Tetriminos (playing field). Lines are cleared when they are entirely filled with Blocks with no empty spaces. As lines are cleared, the level rises, and Tetriminos fall faster, making the game more difficult. The game is over if the Blocks land above the top of the playing field.
3. Storymaker
Make your writing assignments more vibrant by encouraging students to make their own picture books! Whether they’re writing a personal story or an exciting mystery, ABCya’s Storymaker allows them to bring their thoughts to life with creative digital images. Students tend to improve their writing, storytelling, and typing abilities during the process.
ABCya Storymaker allows youngsters to write and print their own stories easily. Make sure to save and print their masterpieces so they may show them off! Kids can create a straightforward narrative or a suspenseful mystery and then bring their words to life with original illustrations. Young authors can also save or print their work with a few clicks!
4. Make A Game: Make A Face
Make-a-Games are some of ABCya’s popular games and for good reasons! The engagement level of this game is such that kids get a chance to express themselves through play that reinforces creativity and digital literacy skills. So whether students want to build a robot companion or design their ideal treehouse, each game allows for customizable unique creations to help bring their imaginations to life.
However, Make A Face is one of our favorites on the list. If you choose the game Make a Face, you can click and drag the various shapes to create a face. While clicking and dragging, students learn and practice essential mouse manipulation techniques. Students can also make faces that depict various emotions, which helps them enhance their recognition and memory ability.
5. Sudoku
Sudoku is a popular form of number game. In its simplest and most common configuration, sudoku consists of a nine × nine grid with numbers appearing in some of the squares. The object of the puzzle is to fill the remaining squares, using all the numbers 1–9 exactly once in each row, column, and the nine three × three subgrids.
Sudoku is based entirely on logic, without any arithmetic involved, and the level of difficulty is determined by the quantity and positions of the original numbers. The game has four difficulty levels: easy, medium, challenging, and expert. Start off from one and then shift to the other, level up, and enhance your creative bone.
6. Elsa In New York Online Game
Dressing up is a form of imaginative play that boosts problem-solving and self-regulation skills. Kids create situations and scenes and act out as per social events. They can test out new ideas and behaviors in a comfortable environment. Dress-up encourages creative thinking while kids try out various combinations of outfits.
In this game, your child has to play Elsa and select among the different locations where they want to go next. For instance, if the child wishes to go to Starbucks coffee, they’ve to dress Elsa for coffee based on the instructions. Similarly, if they want to go to a salon, they need to put a mask on, add two slices of cucumber, wash it off, and then dry it using a towel. It will allow the kids to learn different activities and keep them engaged while boosting their creativity.
7. Cinderella Shopping World
Kids, especially girls, are interested in clothes and shoes from a very young age. This can be an ideal game to teach kids how to style and what kind of clothes will look flattering with what kind of shoes and accessories, and which makeup they can select with it. The game is ideal for every age and will boost kids’ creativity.
In this game, the child starts by selecting the ideal eye color and makeup for the doll model, then moves to the next step: selecting the right hairstyle and choosing the best outfits. Once you are done, the computer will arrange your score based on how original the style was and how fashionable it looked.
8. Minecraft
Minecraft is a widely popular game where you place blocks to build whatever you can. Monsters emerge at night, so need to construct a shelter before this occurs. Minecraft is made up of many different parts and sections. It can be found in the Settings menu. To access the guide, go to the home screen and select Settings from the options Play, Settings, and Marketplace.
The game is an ultimate thriller where the kids need to place the blocks and ensure that the monster doesn’t emerge. The game creates an engaging platform for kids where they get creative while also having fun.
How to support and improve creativity in kids?
Creativity is a valuable skill you must emphasize in your kid’s early life. There are multiple ways to do that by using games during their early ages. But before doing any of that, you need to understand what your child requires and how you can support their growth based on the phase of life they are in.
Early childhood and preschool
1. Do less so your child can do more
Giving toddlers the option to attempt something new on their own fosters creativity. We appeal to their creative imagination when encouraging children to think and reason. For example, is your child frustrated because they can’t get to their favorite cup in the cupboard? Rather than simply presenting it to them, ask them how to fix the problem.
2. Pose open-ended questions.
Open-ended questions with no correct or incorrect responses inspire children to think imaginatively. When asked a question that does not demand a yes or no answer, a youngster will develop a solution based on what they know, remember, and envision.
3. Create something
Crafts and activities stimulate children’s creativity. Children can experiment with different lines, colors, and materials. They can deviate from the instructions and create their own product. When given the opportunity to make judgments, they use their imagination to pursue their own ideas. As a result, we stifle them a little when we provide specific instructions. Giving youngsters the option to attempt something new on their own fosters creativity.
School-Age Children
1. Emphasize effort over results
Raising a creative child means focusing on the process, not the product. Children need to experience the joy and satisfaction of expressing themselves creatively. And this creative expression shouldn’t be about, say, who draws better or who dances better. Instead, it’s about valuing individual effort. We live in a diverse world, and our creative expression can—and should—reflect that.
2. Refrain from overscheduling
Managing time and allowing children to have downtime—is an important part of parenting a creative child. In our fast-paced culture, we frequently regard spare time as a waste of time. When children enter school, there is increased pressure to fill the minutes and be productive. Remembering that artistic and creative children are born from having the time to follow their hobbies independently can need an active commitment.
3. Allow Scope For Boredom
We must value pauses, calm periods, and idle minutes in order to foster creativity. We must remember that looking out the window is acceptable and that daydreaming is beneficial. We enable our brains to relax and reflect on what we have learned or observed during these moments. And doing so assists a youngster in becoming her best self.
Theories supporting creativity as divergent thinking
Some theories seek to operationalize creativity in terms of cognitive processes that will allow it to be measured. Guilford’s theory of creativity (1956), for example, operationalized creativity as divergent thinking with four sub-facets:
- Flexibility: Whereby a kid has the flexibility to learn from several categories and approaches while solving a problem or to enhance the ability to come up with relevant ideas.
- Fluency: whereby a kid can produce relevant ideas.
- Originality: A rare ability to build statistical and unique ideas.
- Elaboration: Where there is an ability to produce rare pictures and implement high-quality ideas in detail.
Such operationalization aids in creating creativity examinations in various settings, such as video games, with items addressing each sub-facet of creativity. Thus, adults must nourish children’s creativity by respecting and identifying it, listening to it, and encouraging it. Here’s a step-by-step method to help your naturally creative child.
Conclusion
Creativity and imagination are essential steps in your children’s growth. It is critical to allow your child to use their natural curiosity and creativity to learn about the world. You may take several approaches to help your child’s imagination and creativity, however, there are some, such as internet games, that need less time than others to inject the factor. As a result, encourage your child to be creative and inventive. Indulge them in playing these games to sharpen their motor skills and prepare for the future because creativity is what will keep you going in this world.
I am Shweta Sharma. I am a final year Masters student of Clinical Psychology and have been working closely in the field of psycho-education and child development. I have served in various organisations and NGOs with the purpose of helping children with disabilities learn and adapt better to both, academic and social challenges. I am keen on writing about learning difficulties, the science behind them and potential strategies to deal with them. My areas of expertise include putting forward the cognitive and behavioural aspects of disabilities for better awareness, as well as efficient intervention. Follow me on LinkedIn