Mumsnet users share how they encourage their children to express themselves creatively with Crayola

[JustineBMumsnet]

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Whether your child is a young artist in the making or you sometimes wonder if their creations are even fridge worthy, children can be happiest when they’re expressing themselves through crafts and colouring. With that in mind, Crayola would like to hear about how and why you encourage your children to express their creative ideas using colour..

Here’s what Crayola has to say: “We believe in the power of self-expression via colour! Whether it’s providing tools to put a purple octopus on the moon, or inspiring arts infused projects to bring to life together as a family, Crayola is passionate about raising creatively alive children and unleashing their originality. Via a wide range of innovative colourful tools and crafting activities, especially designed for kids, like washable pens, markers and paint, coloured pencils and twistable crayons that last longer, Crayola gives colourful wings to the imagination that grows in the hearts and minds of the children”.

What are your favourite crafting activities with your children? Which colouring tools do your children like using most? Perhaps your children most enjoy being creative if they’re developing their masterpieces as gifts for others? Or do you have children that love drawing and painting so much any encouragement from you is unnecessary? Do more creative tasks like colouring help your children to be more mindful? Or perhaps you find encouraging your children to be creative or art a great way to get them to open up and share what they’re feeling?

All who share how or why they encourage their children to express themselves and their ideas via colouring on the thread below will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

I bought lots of different arts and crafts materials so that they could try out lots of different things.

My daughter loves painting. It can be really stressful doing it in the house so we wait for a nice day then set her up with her easel outside and she can basically do whatever she likes without any of us worrying about mess!

Not sure I had any budding artists in my household but we used to have lots of fun sessions but the best ones were always in the garden using the chalk/paint easel and wax crayons for taking rubbings around our garden and then on a hot day a splash/clean session with the hose!

we love painting days in the garden when it is warm :)

Lots of praise and lots of mess!

My daughter loves to draw and paint as a hobby and I have always encouraged her and she has produced some fabulous drawings

Art galleries and museums regularly have free activity workshops and events which are great to stimulate creativity in a different way and get a bit of education too.

We love drawing, painting, sticking using bits of old fabric, toilet rolls etc, building things with lego and wooden blocks and I always try and ask DD to think of ideas to ensure her creativity comes out.

We do lots of drawing and writing. They also like to sing and dance. I take them both to the theatre as often as possible too - the oldest especially enjoys that.

My kids are very creative. My 10 year old daughter saved up to buy a glue gun and has been making crafts with it over the summer hols. She gets a lot of inspiration from her fave craft YouTubers

I bought lots of art and craft type tops when my kids were little and played with them, but none of them turned out to be artistic! One of them has always been really good sat creative writing, si I have encouraged that.

I'm going to be remembered as the Granny who lets them get all the craft stuff out at once, LOL! Find glitter in the strangest places, LOL

I was born in the 70s...so-was heavily involved with fuzzy felts. shapes,even themed boxes..meant-it was all there for you.i don't know if ism just my "personality"but-i don't ever recall the time I made a picture of an....anything.
am not confident at art.am not confident I can sharpen a pencil!or resist chewing a crayon.
both my sisters were gifted,like properly talented artists...I think theres a point where confidence comes in.i.e..I think I cant\so I don't(draw)..it took until I was bout 30 for me to produce,or possibly even finish a "craft".gun to head style(skint at xmas/with a child/needs=must)so I made and sold wreaths. since then I discovered pintrest. plagerism or reproduction...still counts.ds1 can draw,paint,without thinking about it.if he wrote story-hed illustrate it..its came naturally. ds2...is not ds1...he likes-instant gratification/minimum input-on his terms. ..I kinda realised that/adapted/explored that..with art.and continue to. wee got lining paper,i rolled it front door ,hall,kitchen,back door-he was 2.after t,pre-bath.said could he stand in paint puddle and footpaint feetprints(diy xmas press once cut for frames for gran/aunties...yes he could he told me...no no no..not hand hold,he told me...ignored the recently decanted into plastic food trays colour option.picked the squeezy bottle up and squirted it..as far as he could...(I shoulda realised)the absolute just do it\breach of instruction\hilarity hit was as visual as it gets...or was til he toddlumped right through the sqeezed stuff and not surprising slipped onto his bum...it was..not my art plan,but anarchaic freedom of expression. co digital photos,i still got pictures.co him..they were very personalised ...

I like making paper lanterns with my son (it was on watch with mother when I was small) and getting them to colour them in . Its so easy and quick x

My son and daughter love all types of arts and crafts and have done so from a very young age. I always have had and arts and craft box full of different crafts and materials. As they get older they try out new more challenging crafts and they continue to enjoy this tome spent as a family and alone. This encourages their creativity and also improves their mental health and behaviour too.

We recently took some crayons out on a day trip and used them to do rubbings of the textured services we came across. The kids really enjoyed it and it was a great way to capture some of the fun things we saw during the day!

My LO had just started out to try to draw a bit and to look at different textures and craft things ( and to see what he can bite) and I'm hoping to stimulate him further with different kinds of paints, crayons, pencils and whatnot to fill every piece of paper with colour!!

I picked up come canvas draw string bags and god them to draw their own designs on for sports kits/ days out/ charity shop trips. Its helped them be more eco conscious about using plastic bags as well as being able to express their own creativity,

Thanks all for posting! The winner of the prize draw is @sjonlegs

My DS is very creative and loves drawing pictures in Birthday cards for his friends. I encourage creative crafts over tv and electronics constantly

My son loves to do anything which allows him to get messy.. so art & crafts are a winner in our house! I really enjoy getting creative together - we recently bought a cheap pack of air dry clay - rolled it out & cut out shapes with cookie cutters & stamped letters on them using stamps designed for inkpads. It was great fun, cheap & easy to do - no expense required - just the clay. When it had dried, we painted it just with cheap poster paints & they look great!
A handmade gift always goes down well so I put aside all of his creations - some for memory box, some for display & some for family gifts.

We provide our DD with a tower of art materials in her room, always available, paint included! This may not work for all kids but she has a large room with a wooden floor and is very careful and responsible. She can often be found at her desk busily working away on a creation when the mood takes her.

When my children were younger we used to have a regular session once a week where we would sit down together to stick, paste and colour. We used the internet to find inspiration and tended to do build up decorations, cards and models to celebrate special occasions such as Halloween, Diwali etc etc.

My daughters love to get creative with boxes, glue, tape, felt tips, crayons and paint. When their friends come to visit ( we are the craft house for play dates) they have been known to create a full replica of a well known drive through restaurant, making cars to sit in, windows to serve from, menus and packaging to put the food in. We have a large supply of crayola products as I find them easy to wash off clothing and other surfaces. Allowing them to be creative without concern.

What are your favourite crafting activities with your children?
Modelling from paper and cardboard, painting and colouring in.

Which colouring tools do your children like using most?
Felt pens in assorted colours

Perhaps your children most enjoy being creative if they’re developing their masterpieces as gifts for others?
Definitely not - all creations are either taken to school or placed on show in the bedroom.

Or do you have children that love drawing and painting so much any encouragement from you is unnecessary?
Encouragement is usually necessary

Do more creative tasks like colouring help your children to be more mindful?
I’m not sure really, possibly yes.

Or perhaps you find encouraging your children to be creative or art a great way to get them to open up and share what they’re feeling?
Definitely not - my dc is a closed book for the most part, that’s just his nature.