This week’s blog focuses on the benefits of getting creative and how it can positively impact our children’s overall happiness and well-being.

Embracing Creativity

Whether you or your children identify as creative individuals or not, everyone can enjoy and benefit from creative activities. You don’t need special talents; just a willingness to explore and try new things. The upcoming summer holidays provide an excellent opportunity for families to engage in creative activities together.

Why is Creativity Beneficial?

Creativity allows us to see the world from a different perspective, helping us to explore and express deeper emotions. Many people, including well-known artists, often find their creative energies flow most during challenging times. This is because creativity provides a unique way to express feelings that might otherwise be hard to articulate.

Benefits for Children

Children’s brains develop significantly from birth until their early twenties, with creativity playing a crucial role. Engaging in creative activities stimulates brain receptors, aiding in:

  • Social Development: Enhancing interaction skills.
  • Emotional Development: Helping process and express emotions.
  • Cognitive Development: Improving thinking and problem-solving skills.
  • Physical Development: Refining motor skills.
  • Intellectual Development: Encouraging new ways of thinking.

Creative play not only supports overall health but also lays the foundation for managing emotional well-being and mental health long-term.

Benefits for Parents and Children

Creativity can help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, relieve stress, and process emotions, including trauma. It also enhances positive emotions, improves immune function, and builds social skills. Creative activities can also unblock old, unhealthy thought patterns, relieving boredom and increasing motivation, self-awareness, and self-esteem.

How Creativity Affects the Brain

Engaging in creative activities calms the brain regions responsible for anxiety and activates those that process emotions, leading to greater peace and relaxation. It also improves overall brain function by enhancing connectivity between different brain regions, crucial for mental health.

Creativity sparks off different regions of the brain, including those that process emotion:

  • When we are engaged in creativity, the regions of the brain responsible for anxiety are calmed. The areas responsible for processing emotions are activated at this time, meaning that activities such as art or music can allow a person to feel greater levels of peace and relaxation.
  • General brain function is improved. It has been found that those who enjoy getting creative by playing an instrument have greater connectivity between the left and right regions of the brain. This improves overall brain function, which leads to improved mental health.
  • Creativity involves an interaction of different brain networks. This includes our Executive Functioning Network, which enables us to process information and hold things in our working memory. The Default Network is also engaged during times of creativity. This part of the brain is also highly active during daydreaming and relaxation (such as that utilised in our Youth Fairy sessions). This part of the brain allows us to think about and consider future goals, solve problems and heightens our feelings of compassion, enabling us to imagine ourselves in different situations – which is great for problem-solving!
  • Our brain processes language through metaphor. Being creative and artistic, such as through writing, art or music, can allow the brain to process information in a way we cannot otherwise do as it engages the left side of the brain which is responsible for language and speech.

Getting Started with Creative Activities

Here are some ideas to get you and your children started with creative activities this summer:

  • Art Projects: Create a collaborative piece of art with your child. This might be a giant-sized piece the whole family can get involved in or something you work on quietly with your child together. Remember, this does not have to be a work of art – it’s the benefit of engaging in the activity that counts!
  • Classical Music: Whilst this might not seem an obvious choice of activity to do with your child, there has been a lot of research into the benefits of listening to classical music and the positive effects it has on the brain. This includes improved concentration and the production of calming chemicals. When we listen to classical music, our brain releases the pleasure-seeking chemical, Dopamine, which in turn improves our mood. If there is also a task or chore that needs doing, especially one that requires mental effort, classical music makes the perfect background choice for its positive effects on thinking and clarity of thought!
  • Dancing: Learn a fun dance from YouTube or TikTok. It’s a great way to bond and bring laughter into the home.
  • Nature Photography: Perhaps getting your child way from their phone or tablet is a challenge so why not bring it with them and involve it in something creative! Ask your child to be responsible for taking the photos and discuss how you could use them creatively afterwards. It’s a great way to get children and teenagers involved in something they might not otherwise want to do, too.
  • Explore Interests: Spend time with your child doing activities they love, like drawing, writing, or coding. This can lead to meaningful conversations and deeper connections. As busy as things might be, try to spend time learning more about what makes them feel completely absorbed in the moment. Taking time to join in with an activity that brings them so much joy is a great way to connect and can often lead to some brilliant conversations which you might not otherwise have.

The leading charity Place2Be offers many creative activities to support children’s mental health and well-being. Check out their resources here.

Enjoy getting creative and nurturing well-being in your family this summer! And, if you need a little helping hand with your child’s emotional well-being and mental health, the Youth Fairy is here to help! Find your nearest Youth Fairy here and book your free 1-hour initial consultation.