Laura Louise of Restyled Lemons shares how we can foster creativity in our kid’s space through a mindset that sparks the imagination and embraces laughter, no matter the circumstance.
We live in an era of unprecedented challenges. These challenges often cause even the most stoic parent to feel overwhelmed and despite our valiant efforts, our feelings and emotions often trickle out in our home and to our children. As parents, individuals, and communities, we have the power to shape the future of our children in a positive way. This starts with demonstrating resilience and teaching our kids to build things back better. Our children are at the center of any transformation within the home. When we empower children with a healthy mindset and tools that spark a new beginning, a brighter imagination, and embrace laughter again, no matter the circumstance, a better future is around the corner. A great start is to foster this through creativity in our kid’s spaces.
Creating fun and educational spaces in your kids’ bedrooms and playrooms. By filling these spaces with toys, books, science experiments, etc we, as parents, can inspire our children to learn about and engage in the space around them, the world around them. The possibilities are endless. In a neighborhood, community, or world that may feel chaotic and uncertain, it’s so vital to cultivate a space for our kids that embodies calm, safety, as well as joy, wonder, and play.
Some fun and important ways to accomplish a space and experience like this are to:
- Create memories
- Create a welcoming and fun environment through fabrics, textures, bold colors
- Encourage extravagance in the everyday
- Allow for exploring and self-discovery
- Learn about diversity
Create Memories in Your Kid’s Space
Memories are the stories we tell ourselves, helping us relook at the past. Making memories is essential to shape who we are, molding our experiences, and connecting us to places we’ve been and people we have met. That is why creating new memories is vital. It may take time, effort, and resources, but it will be worth it all. Involving your child in the creation of their space with you will help them feel like they belong, their choices matter, and the best part, it will create a bond within your family.
Bring in Fun and Function
Next is creating a welcoming and fun environment in this space. Trends are telling us that maximalism (an aesthetic of excess) and sustainability are the way to go now, digressing from minimalism (simplicity, clean lines, and a monochromatic color palette). Creating a space with your child that is richly decorated with bold colors, playful patterns, and lasting furniture produces joy and happiness. One way to combine maximalism and sustainability is to restyle old furniture pieces. This keeps them out of landfills and passes them on to the next generation. As a furniture artist, I have found my clients are thrilled to have the option of a beautiful paint finish to create new meanings and memories with their old furniture. Often folks keep furniture from their childhood or it’s passed down from their parent’s house. It is an honor to redesign the outdated piece and make it useful and beautiful again, lasting for another generation!
Allow children the freedom and self-discovery of selecting colors and patterns, textures in their toys, pillows, paint choices, and furniture styles. The process of play reveals their uniqueness and provides a sense of ownership. This approach helps create a more personal and welcoming space that is visually engaging and lends to more self-accomplishment, knowing they had input in the creation of this space. Knowing they helped, creates positivity towards the space.
Everyday Extravagance in Kid’s Spaces
Another encouraging way to make this space theirs and create positive association is to invite everyday extravagance. We are surrounded by the mundane every day with tasks such as cleaning, putting dishes away, and folding laundry. We can teach our young ones to put a positive spin on something not so exciting and they can find pleasure and joy in the ordinary.
There are so many ways to bring excitement into our kid’s spaces (and our own!). Buy fresh flowers and place them in their space. It’s a small pleasure that can make the day more satisfying. Create a reading nook and put together an area with a bean bag made of velvet instead of just cotton, or grab some old chairs and a small table and paint it to sparkle and be inviting. Consider adding a chandelier above the reading nook. A little glamor in what is usually a plain space can add extravagance. If a chandelier isn’t your jam, paint a mural of dinosaurs or a space scene, or add wallpaper if painting isn’t in your tool belt. For both parents and kids, make a big deal about the mundane exercise of bath time by adding candles, champagne (sparkling apple cider), bath salts, and music. Creating sparkle out of the ordinary helps shift our mindset too. Make that memory in your child’s mind and teach them to appreciate what they have and to live in the present moment.
Encourage Exploration and Self-Discovery
Let your child lean into their artistic expression and self-discovery which is important to your child’s growth. Encouraging them to explore through creativity helps them express themselves through other mediums such as music, art, and dance. When I taught preschool I had my guitar by my side. I didn’t know how to play it, but I certainly knew lots of songs and just made up a few to encourage music in their day. We laughed and danced and it helped engage them to ask about the guitar and other instruments. It also let the otherwise shy kids see the fun and self-discovery in such a simple act. I also provided tambourines, bells, maracas, and a keyboard. It was just fun to engage in them, learning what they were and what sounds could be created. It opened up a whole new world and conversation for further music endeavors. It encouraged them to discover any passions or talents as well.
When a child has the freedom to experiment without all the rules it will let them dive into self-expression, through art materials that allow for exploration with colors, themes, textures, and more. It lets them tap into their own intuition. As a parent, you can provide this with a variety of art supplies and allow them to explore without too many rules or judgment. A great way to do this is to provide butcher paper (I get rolls at the Dollar Store) and place it over a table or on the floor, provide an apron and the possibilities are endless, and fun!
If this idea makes you cringe, I encourage you to allow a time each week for both of you (or all of you) to set aside the adult in you, the what-ifs, and be on your child’s level. Watch and see how excited they will be to see you on their level and engaging in something that they love. It will be a beautiful memory for both of you!
Explore Diversity in Your Kid’s Space
Children have a natural sense of curiosity and a desire to learn about other kids that may look or even act differently from them. As a former educator, I can share that it is essential to encourage our kids’ curiosity in all areas of learning and socializing. Expose them to diverse cultures through books, stories, art, and trips. Provide a welcoming and inclusive environment where your kids can understand the world around them, at their level. You can teach them to respect other cultures and build empathy through fun activities such as cooking ethnic foods (something we are doing with our older kids every week), attending cultural events, or even learning fun dances from different countries. These experiences are meaningful, and fun, and create a positive outlook on all humanity which helps us all learn to love one another.
Make learning about others a more consistent practice by making space in your home. Find an old bookcase, paint it, and add a collection of cultural books. Consider checking out library books on other cultures and ethnic cooking books. Grab arts and crafts books on Amazon, showing how to create cultural crafts and create them together on an art table in the space you develop together.
Bring optimism and encouragement into your home, and your kid’s spaces – it is such a great gift! Choosing to create change in their world, by transforming or creating a space with all these elements is not only practical but also inspiring. You can be the spark for others around you as well. Your child can certainly be a spark amongst their friends too. The chatter about their new space and why it was created, wow! Just think of the change makers that are being formed for building and creating a better space, a better future.
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Laura Louise is a native Californian who has resided in Austin, TX for 17 yrs. She has been into art in some form or fashion since she was a kid – doodling on the walls of her closet and spray painting the inside of her garage door. Laura began her career as a teacher, where she worked for over 20 years.
