Your child stares at a blank page. Someone says, “Make anything you like.” Nothing comes. Then you hear it: “I’m not creative.” Maybe you have said the same words about yourself. It hurts to watch a child give up on an idea before it starts. You are not the only parent who has heard this.
Common questions from parents
Is creativity learned, or is a child born with it?
What is a simple way to help my child be more creative at home?
Does creativity only mean art and music?
Why does my child say “I’m not creative”?
Think your child isn't the creative type? We see creativity grow when kids get room to try odd ideas and watch parents think out loud.
What does this infographic say about creativity?
The infographic makes four main points. Here they are in plain words, with our notes.
- Creativity is not only for people born with it. We agree. We see it grow in children who get chances to try.
- Creativity is not only art. It shows up when a child solves a problem in a new way. A blanket fort counts. So does a new rule for an old game.
- A safe space matters. A child needs room to try odd ideas without being laughed at.
- Parents set the example. Children watch how you handle a problem.
The image also shows a big percentage in a yellow box. Nothing in our research library supports that number. So we leave it out.
“A child who hears ‘that’s wrong’ again and again stops offering ideas. A child who hears ‘tell me more’ keeps going.” Laura Lurns
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
Is my child born creative, or is it something they build?
Many people think some kids are “the creative ones.” Our view is different. We see creativity grow when a child gets room to try things. It looks less like a gift and more like a habit. A child who tries lots of ideas gets better at having them. A child who hears “that’s wrong” again and again stops offering them.
A lot of school work asks for one right answer. That has its place. To us, a child who only meets right answers learns to wait to be told. Home is where you make room for the other kind of thinking. We wrote more about creativity as a skill you help build at home.
Key takeaways
- Not a fixed gift: We see creativity grow when a child gets room to try ideas.
- Safe to be strange: Ask about an odd idea before you judge it.
- Think out loud: Let your child watch you try, get it wrong and try again.
What do I do at home to help my child’s creativity grow?
The infographic names two steps: make ideas safe, and show your own thinking. Here is what that looks like at home.
- Make odd ideas safe. When your child shares a strange idea, ask about it first. Try “Tell me more” instead of “That won’t work.”
- Think out loud. When you fix a wobbly shelf, say your ideas as you go. Say the bad ones too. Let your child see you try, miss and try again.
- Leave open-ended things around. Boxes, tape, blocks and paper. Things with no one right use.
- Ask questions with many answers. “How many ways could we use this spoon?” Every answer is allowed.
None of this needs a class or a kit. It needs a few minutes and a parent who listens. We do not sell creativity as a shortcut to better grades. It is worth growing for its own sake.
“Across 92 randomized trials, how creative a child’s physical activity was did not predict extra benefit for thinking skills or school achievement.” Vasilopoulos, Jeffrey, Wu & Dumontheil, Scientific Reports, 2023
“Creativity is not only art. It is a blanket fort, a new game rule, or a fresh fix for an old problem.” Laura Lurns
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
We believe every child has ideas worth hearing. You don’t need a credential to be your child’s first teacher. You already are one. The only question is whether you have the right tools. The old way of doing school rewards one right answer and little else. For words to use when your child wants to give up, try our free Growth Mindset Program.
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Why we use AI, plainly: it writes from a knowledge base our team maintains and audits. We work through it line by line and pull anything the evidence stops supporting. The roadmap you get on Tuesday reflects what we corrected on Monday, and a human still reads it before you do.
Your school district must evaluate your child free of charge if you ask in writing, whatever your income and whatever the outcome (US, 34 CFR 300.111 and 300.301(b)). That route takes time and answers a different question than you do. This one starts today, from what you already know.
Your answers stay yours. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not hand identifiable assessment data to outside AI companies to train their models.
A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too. That is the only route to those supports.
References
- Vasilopoulos F, Jeffrey H, Wu Y, Dumontheil I (2023). Multi-level meta-analysis of whether fostering creativity during physical activity interventions increases their impact on cognitive and academic outcomes during childhood. Scientific Reports 13:8383.
- Learning Success, "Unlocking Creative Potential: Strategies for Success" (infographic, this page).
