Easter, Creativity and Redemption are three words that go together well. With a few uncharted moments, we can give our kids memories to treasure, especially at Easter. Still, family gatherings can feel a little daunting.
How can we use free time to foster creativity and redemption in our kids’ hearts? My daughter, artist Anna Krafve Pierce co-hosted Fireside Talk Radio recently to brainstorm ideas for making the most of holiday moments.
Happy Easter!
First, Happy Easter! In honor of the resurrection, we made you a little gift. Please click here to download the printable templates we created just for you. Hopefully, these will keep your kids happily coloring, cutting, and pasting. (Feel free to email me directly, if you’re already getting our weekly blog. We really love to hear from you!)
By the way, our free design creates a darling gift box for a candy bar. Pretty genius way to pass along a Bible verse to any of your neighbors, combining creativity and redemption and your kids’ crayons! More good news: according to Anna, any parent can foster creativity in their kids in 3 simple ways.
Three Ways Parents Successfully Foster Creativity in Their Kids
#1 Greet all art work like a valuable gift.
“Most children at some point will bring you art work that’s on a piece of paper. If they’re really little you might not even realize it’s art work until they tell you,” she laughs. “So, it’s always convenient when they can talk.” In this classic approach, Anna suggests letting them describe it to you. If. instead, you try to guess what in the world it is, you’ll miss all that’s in their beautiful imaginations!
“It’s discouraging when people don’t realize you’ve drawn a dragon,” she laughs, offering a common mistake, “when they (mom or dad) think you’ve drawn a dinosaur.” Naturally, the best way to encourage future artists is to receive their art work like it’s a treasured gift. Then, if you’re enthusiastic, they may go make another one.
“That’s instantly practice. Practice is always good for any artistic skill,” says Anna. Plus, parents get a minute more of down time! Win-win! For anyone who wants to excel at art or anything else, Anna emphasizes practice as an essential habit “If you do it over and over again, you will get good at it.”
#2 Complement specific details.
Surprisingly, you don’t have to focus on the most skilled part of your child’s project, according to Anna. Just by noting the things that interest you, you engage your child’s heart and imagination. Also, calling attention to interesting details conveys a wealth of information.
For instance, praising specific parts of their art teaches them how to focus in on details. Plus, it lets them know what they created matters to you. (Listen in on our conversation for more cool stuff Anna said about combining creativity and redemption for your kiddos.)
#3 Teach your children to observe.
“The skill of observing makes you a good artist, combined with practice,” says Anna. “You have to notice how things are put together, how different shapes, lines, and color relate to each other.” Certainly, anyone, even parents who don’t think of themselves as artists, can help their child learn to observe.
Practically speaking, she suggests focusing on things that intrigue you. For example, a scientist can point out the way nature interacts. When an adult points out the relationship between animals and their environment, for instance, a creative child learns to pay attention to how things relate. Happily, an artistically gifted child might even note visual relationships the parent never noticed.
We’re ALL Creative
Fortunately for all of us, God gifted all His kiddos with creativity. However, people express their creativity in a myriad of ways. That’s good news for parents raising a bunch of extremely creative kids. (For the signals to watch for that indicate a natural gift for art in your child, find our podcasts here. Or, sign up for our weekly blog, here.)
Naturally, every family contains a unique variety of creative kiddos and adults. Since God made us all in His image, it’s good to keep in mind that ALL creativity reflects His nature. Individual creativity makes parenting a rewarding challenge. Yet, wondering how to keep the kids’ natural creative bent occupied in a healthy way seems to be a common challenge for all parents!
More Creative Ideas for Outdoors
On our podcast, Anna reminded me that any holiday with kids includes extremes in energy levels. Of course, energy levels spike as kids anticipate no school or visiting guests. Plus, imagine all the sweet treats they’ll consume! For high energy moments, she suggests creating extreme sports out of all your favorite games.
For instance, Badminton, Croquet, even Spoons, can all morph into safe, full-body, back yard experiences, with parental direction. Obviously, enforce kid-friendly, consistent rules so no one gets hurt. Then, prepare to laugh; belly laughter can be a full-body sport, too! After a little fresh air and a romp with the family, kids often respond well to offers of quieter activities.
The Quieter Side of Creativity and Redemption
Creativity and redemption is all around us! Especially at Easter, don’t miss the opportunity to teach your children to observe. While you’re outside together, point out all the beautiful things God made. With good observation skills, they’ll be better equipped for life, no matter how their creativity expresses itself.
Finally, since Easter is all about God’s plan for creativity and redemption, why not give yourself a little weekly boost by getting our blog filled with ideas to spark creativity and redemption in all our relationships?
Creativity and Redemption: The Art of Messing Up
Finally, want another way to bless your family when it comes to creativity and redemption? Anna claims one of the best things gracing your child’s Easter is not the stuff in the basket. With fresh insight, she explores the connection between messing up and creativity and redemption.
Lovingly, she offers an example of how to teach your child to master the art of messing up. For example, as a parent or teacher, no matter how much you encourage, there’s always that moment when a kid melts down over their art work.
“Instead of bringing you a present with their artwork, they bring you something that’s a little bit wonky,” laughs Anna. “It has a big mark in the wrong place according to their little hearts and minds.” Sure enough, distress and frustration follow. Dramatically, your child may even rip or wad up his latest creation.
As you try to comfort the inconsolable kid, what do you say? Anna likes to think of those moments as opportunities for everyone! Wonderfully, how you respond to mistakes actually illustrates creativity and redemption to young hearts!
Mistakes: an Opportunity for Creativity and Redemption
“(Redemption requires that) we take what we thought was a mistake and make it be a part of the whole,” she says, “To make it right. That idea was so freeing.” Sometimes, a simple solution like tearing up their mistake and letting them paste it into a new collage illustrates redemption. Their new collage can represent how God rearranges our lives, turning past mistakes into present wisdom.
“Mistakes are an opportunity to be creative. Essentially, we got to be inspired, we got to think of something we never would have thought of before,” explains Anna. With tender compassion, we encourage our children to understand that God takes what we view as tragedy or crisis, and remakes it into something beautiful, according to Anna.
“Isn’t it humbling that God would let us be the picture of redemption for our children,” adds Anna. Tenderly, Anna likes to share a story about her own dear little daughter who is so happy to be forgiven for her minor infractions.
The Creative Process of Forgiveness
“I need to be more delighted when God forgives me, rather than stuck in my mistake,” begins Anna. Thoughtfully, Anna describes how her daughter’s joy at forgiveness holds her own mommy’s heart accountable.
“As a mom, the whole ‘mistakes are an opportunity to be creative’ applies to motherhood, too,” Anna expanding her thoughts to include her own mess-ups as a mom, “Like with my kids, I regularly mess up where I snap at them a little too fast because I’m tired, because we’ve been together a lot.” With two toddlers, she practices what she preaches, often translating her deep, abstract faith into bite-sized portions for her children.
“Those moments are some of the best moments because I get to apologize,” Anna says, “There’s a certain creativity in identifying the mistake as a parent, figuring out how you’re going to make it right, and how you are changing the pattern.” (Right. I caught the way Anna said, “get to apologize.” Believe me, she figured that out without my help.)
Creativity and redemption, mixed with the art of messing up: beautiful themes for celebrating Easter with family. May your joy be complete as you celebrate the creative and redemptive love of Christ!
May I pray for you?
Dear Father in heaven, as we plan for more time with family, may we honor Your Son. Help us demonstrate what it means to live in creative redemption each day. Inspire our hearts with Your loving sacrifice, as we love those around us. Let all our creativity bring glory to You, O Lord, and spread redemption to others. Thank You for making us in Your image, full of creative energy. May our hearts embrace with delight the free gift of forgiveness made possible by Your beloved Son’s death on the cross. Allow His resurrection to fill our hearts with gratitude and awe. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
We love to hear from you!
What are your plans to make Easter special? How has art helped you understand God’s creativity along the way? In what ways have you experienced the gift of redemption?
Get Your Free Easter Templates Here!
Yep, just in time for Easter! These darling templets are perfect for a Sunday school craft or to enliven creativity at home. Each one has inspiring messages and can be cut out to create a gift box for a candy bar. They are the perfect little treat to let friends know they are loved. Sign up for our blog and get your free templets here!
Or, if you’re already getting our blog, email me, here, for templates or to share stories! Find podcasts with lots more easy ideas about spending time with creative kids from Anna Krafve Pierce, here.
More Stories and Wisdom to Bless Our Hearts
If you, too, are committed to building healthy families with creative kiddos, we want to encourage you! Joyfully, we’ve interviewed experts. Don’t miss their stories and wisdom, shared just for you on Fireside Talk Radio: James Kemp, Chris Legg, Sarah Cummings, Neita Fran Ward, Benjamin A. Simpson, Dawn Franks, and Tony Johnson.
Cathy Krafve, host of Fireside Talk Radio, Speaker, Blogger, Podcaster, and Christian Communicator, invites your stories, ideas, and questions at CathyKrafve.com. Truth with a Texas Twang spoken here!
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