Younger children are constantly encouraged to take part in arts and crafts, whether at nursery, at school, or during weekends and holidays with family. However, although most secondary schools have art classes, art is often considered less important and of lower priority than other pursuits as children age. The desire to create art is intrinsic to humans, and doing so has huge benefits for well-being and mental health. Whether your child or teenager has lost interest in arts and crafts, or there is simply a lack of opportunities for them, there are ways you can help them explore their creativity.
Create a Dedicated Craft Space
In many cases, older children and teenagers haven’t lost the drive to express themselves — they just aren’t in an environment that allows for it. Creating a physical space in your home for arts and crafts can really help foster your child’s creativity, whether it’s a small area of their bedroom or an entire room where all the family can work on projects.
While the size of the space available will vary, there are plenty of other aspects that make a good arts and crafts space. The area should be organised, well-lit, and stocked with supplies. Depending on the type of artistic project and medium, these supplies can vary. For example, you may only need a sketchbook and pencils for drawing. For sculpting with glass, you may need glass glue, cleaner, and a straight razor to clean residue after. If your child is interested in digital art or 3D modelling, a high-end PC or tablet may be needed.
The school holidays could be a great time to set up an arts and crafts space. This can be a fun creative project in itself, and you can involve your child in order to make it personal to them!
Understand Their Interests
If your child seems to have lost interest in creative pursuits, it may be because the available creative outlets (such as art lessons at school) aren’t tailored to their specific interests. Talk to your child and find out what they’re passionate about — it could be technology, nature, fashion, or anything else. Aligning arts and crafts projects with their specific interests can make them much more appealing.
If your child prefers socialising and group activities, there may be creative outlets that provide them with this opportunity. These could be local arts and crafts groups or online communities. There are even street art festivals in Worcestershire and beyond that they could get involved in.
Three Project Ideas
If you’re looking for creative inspiration, here are three arts and crafts projects your children may be interested in:
Stained Glass Window: Stained glass art may seem inaccessible, but the materials needed are actually inexpensive and easy to get hold of! With just glass glue, clear glass sheets, faux lead paint, and coloured glass pieces, budding artists can create their own stained glass windows. First, outline your design on a clear glass sheet with the paint, and then attach the coloured pieces with the glass glue.
Customized Phone Case: Let’s face it, most older children and teens spend a lot of time on their phones. Customising a phone case can be a fun and useful project. Plain phone cases are cheap, and there are all manner of embellishments available to add, from stickers and rhinestones to acrylic paints. This project lets your child design a totally unique case that not only protects their phone, but also reflects their personality.
Tie-Dye Clothing: Tie-dyeing is a fun and accessible project that allows your child to create unique clothing items. All you need to get started are plain white clothes such as t-shirts, hoodies, or socks, and a tie-dye kit (you can get comprehensive kits that include different coloured dyes, elastic bands, and gloves). There are plenty of tying techniques that create various patterns, like spirals, stripes, or bullseyes. As well as being creative, this project can also result in cool additions to your child’s wardrobe.
Nurturing a Creative Spark
Helping somebody find their creative inspiration can be tricky, so don’t lose hope if the first thing you suggest doesn’t work! Encouraging children to experiment with different media and techniques can help them find their groove, but remember that your role is mostly to spark inspiration in the first place — older children and teenagers develop their skills and creativity best under their own steam.
