Focus on the Family Magazine - October/November 2022

KIDS & TEENS / RESILIENCE
THE SPACE
TO CREATE
Encourage your kids to explore,
innovate and use their imagination
BY LORI Z. SCOTT
ILLUSTRATIONS BY INNA GUNTER
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A
ONE-LEGGED, THREE-
EYED PIRATE? Me neither, until
I stopped outside my son Michael’s
pre-K room to survey student artwork.
The bulletin board showcased
15 identically cut buccaneers and
one quirky monstrosity—with my
son’s name crayoned in the corner.
Hoping Michael was just too lazy
to glue on the extra leg, I asked him
to tell me about his craft.
He cocked his head as if the
answer was obvious. “That’s Pete the
Pirate.”
I pointed to the head. “Why does
he have three eyes?”
“Two ‘eye, eye, Captain!’ regular
ones.” He counted his fingers. “And
one eye that’s out to see.”
I couldn’t argue with that logic.
“And the leg?”
“He likes to jump,” Michael
declared. “Who’s gonna stop him?”
Certainly not me. Oh, the creativity
of my kid.
Creativity can be fostered in all
people, no matter their interests,
goals or personality. This is good
news for parents. We can cultivate
innovative thinking in our children.
The source of creativity
Developing creativity starts by tapping
into the source—God. The Bible
describes how our creator perfected
every plant and creature, painted every
sunrise and sunset, and placed every
star and galaxy. Even microorganisms,
fingerprints and snowflakes are intricately
designed—the smallest details
of the universe show off God’s artistic
flair (Genesis 1:1-27; Psalm 104:24;
Romans 1:20).
The Bible also tells us that we are
made in the image of God, which I
take to mean that we have a capacity
for innovative thinking. “From an
early age, children scribble, build,
plunk on a piano and experiment
with their environment,” says Rachel
Savell, an elementary school counselor.
“They don’t worry if they don’t
draw a perfect circle or play the right
notes. They simply dive in.”
So, how do we encourage their
creativity?
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FOCUS ON THE FAMILY
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2022