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

get the paints out and let them have fun

Dcs love to draw and colour in. They also like using my sewing fabric scraps to make collages and pictures.

my children love dressing up and playing pretend games. I think this is great for them to explore their imaginations and love finding things for their dressing up box. They love to put on shows for me of various types!

Lots of experiences involving different creative (and sometimes messy) activities including planting in the garden. cooking and painting.

My daughter loves to make clothes, she has learnt to sew at school and she has chosen a number of materials of different patterns and colours and is currently making a blazer for herself. Not quite sure how it will turn out but I'm so proud of her enthusiasm and creativity.

I find if I am drawing and colouring then my children will too. Same if I'm playing music or making something. They like to do what I do. I talk about what I'm doing and how I'm trying out new things and experimenting. I tell them it's good to do things that are rubbish because that's how you know how to do better and sometimes you'll make a good mistake and find out something new. All a bit much for them to really take in properly but not being afraid of expressing themselves on paper is something harder to get over than you think.
I want to send them to drama/performing arts type classes but they're pretty expensive so haven't done that yet. I think creativity comes in so many forms and all should be encouraged.

just try not using the word no so much!

Dc’s Always been way more creative than me, I love how she can turn her hand to making, drawing, knitting, sewing...
Our house is full of her creations

We always have art & craft stuff 'available' for the DC to use whenever they want. Mainly felt tips, crayons, stickers, colouring books, paper etc. (We tend to steer clear of anything too messy!!).
One of their favourite things to do it draw & colour - and I love it too and do it with them when I can

I am an artist and so my dc sees me working and creating and I encourage him to join me in being creative.
We use paints, crayons, felt pens, pencils. We draw from imagination or things we see.
I take my dc to art galleries and museums regularly, we also go to the theatre, see live music and listen to music at home all the time.
I believe expression in art is vitally important for all children.

New pens and hardback books filled with plain paper get handed out at the beginning of the school holidays. Totally up to them what they choose to draw or write inside. We've got sketches of things they've done and pictures of characters from TV they like. Also lots of random patterns!

I take all the screens away a few times a week - I think it's healthy to allow kids to be bored once in awhile as it encourages them to use their imagination and creativity.

We love to cut out pictures from magazines and make collages, pictures, farm scenes, city scenes and lots of faces to make a happy picture. A pritt stick, an old copy of autotrader or marie claire and we are happy for hours.

My boys love to make homemade card. Drawing,gluing and cutting out. They are definitely stand out pieces. We like to draw outside with chalks in the summer time,it really makes them super expressive and paths look colourful. It makes them happy.

My son has autism and other special needs, he loves drawing and writing stories, this is a good way for him to express himself as he can't cope with strong emotions. He doesn't need any real encouragement and he finds it also calming.

Don't be afraid of getting paints out at home!

Making sure our DD has endless supplies of drawing/writing equipment and craft materials. If we don't, she just finds her own anyway out of anything!

Our son sees us read, and is becoming an avid reader himself as a result. He also enjoys story telling in his writing, and enjoys English massively. While he's had opportunities to take part in art and crafts, workshops, baking cakes etc, he's definitely a reader and writer, and, funnily enough, that's where our hearts lie!

We love making lots of fun things! Our last make was a millennium falcon! We stuck cardboard together and used lots of tape covering it all silver! The children played Star Wars for days!

We love making our own envelopes, playing with pipe cleaners, Beads, endless amounts of glue and cellotape too :)

Encouragement and praise - in whenever they choose to be creative

My children love drawing and painting. They will happily spend a lot of time each day being creative with their drawings and painting. They love it when we draw together as a family.
Some of the things drawn are random but I love it when they tell me about their creations or when they give me a drawing when I haven’t seen them all day. 🥰

We have a large art box that they love getting into, but instead of drawing pads I have found that 'junk' and cardboard boxes are much more fun. Their latest creation was a pirate ship where the cushions were their safe route in to avoid the sharks!
They also enjoy charades.

at any opportunity we get the chalks out and draw on the walls and pavement x

I do the lining paper thing too. It's great in summer when I tape it to our big outside table. Big cardboard boxes are fun too - just plonk them in with the colours and off they go!

Recently we made a fire from cardboard and decorated with hot colours, so my son can play firemen with his favourite costume. He props up the 'fire' against the sofa and goes into action!

I like getting my two to chalk in the garden - keeps them entertained for a while and can easily be cleaned up!