So why am I focusing so much on nurturing and encouraging creativity in your preschooler? Because it’s the only time you’ll be able to take concrete steps to fan the flames of inspiration. Children between the ages of 2 to 6 are in their prime to explore and absorb.

Here are just some reasons to feed that creative itch:

• When kids use their hands and fingers to paint, sketch, mould, and hold crayons or paint, they are enhancing their motor skills.
• As they get older, they learn to use their creative skills to solve problems.
• Art can also give them a means of self expression to express their feelings. There’s a reason why disturbed or abused children draw and paint dark and gloomy images.
• Take a look at some of the most intelligent and forceful personalities through out history; without exception, they have all been creative people.

Encourage Art

This one is a no brainer, and is the one of the easiest ways to encourage your child’s artistic side.

• Always keep arts and crafts supplies close at hand.
• Don’t supervise his work.
• Offer words of encouragement, but don’t constantly hover above him saying, “The sun should be a deep, yet mellow orangish yellow” or other such neurotic behavior. Nothing kills a child’s creativity faster than setting marked boundaries for him.
• Don’t force him to create entire masterpieces from scratch. Some days he’ll want to do nothing but rub crayon on paper. Help him by creating a rough sketch for him, so he can fill in color to his heart’s content.
• Praise the oddities in his artwork. For instance, “That’s a really beautiful sea. I like how you’ve made the whale orange.”
• When he’s made something, remember to frame it or display it.

Encourage Imaginary Friends

I know Moms who are freaked out over their child’s fictional friends or playmates and try to talk them out of it, or scold them when they mention these playmates.

Don’t.

Kids love to enact situations (it makes them feel all grown up) and an imaginary friend helps them act out situations that are interesting to them, and experience emotions. A terrific creativity booster.

Allow Time for Play

A 4 year old child’s life shouldn’t be a never ending cycle of art, activities and other educational play. Allow time for normal play and exploration. Don’t over schedule his life. A clockwork military style regimen is another outstanding way to kill creativity.

I can understand why discipline and obedience would be a concern for parents, but balance is key here.

Play Dress Up

Kids love to pretend they’re other people, especially older people. Nothing gives them a bigger kick than dressing the part. Little girls love the entire princess routine; boys are likely to pretend they’re Spiderman. No matter what they chose to be, encourage the behavior and play along. Ask questions.

So, where are you going all dressed up tonight?

Who are you going with?

What will you do when you get there?”

You might be amazed at the answers.

Trash the TV

Well, maybe not. But try to cut down on how much TV they watch. Here’s a doable way you can set a TV schedule for your kids.

There’s a lot on TV that’s educational and informative, and lots more than isn’t so great. The worst part about TV as far as creativity is concerned is that it makes kids lazy. Instead of using their own imagination, they sit back and watch the results of other people’s imagination at work. Plus, it’s addictive. You might find your kids less interested in arts and activities once they’re hooked.

By the time your child is three, he will (hopefully) begin seriously dabbling in art at home. Add to that, the mountain of artwork he will collect over the next few years from school projects, holiday crafts projects and others, and you have a logistical nightmare.

So how, and where do your display little Picasso’s masterpieces? Here are a few places to set up an impromptu art gallery.

Bulletin Board

Use a bulletin board displayed at a prominent space in the house to display artwork, and update regularly. Getting rid of old artwork (after a few months, you’ll have a sizeable collection of masterpieces that’s he’s created at home, plus dozens of school projects that his teacher will send home with him) will be impossible, so set aside an acid proof box (available at stationery stores) to store pictures once they step off their exalted status on the board.

Avoid using pins, especially if the board is low enough for a child to reach up and remove them. Use staples instead.

Wall Gallery

This isn’t every parent’s favorite way to display pictures because they can damage paint. Try using gift wrapping bows to attach pictures to the wall. They don’t damage the paint as much.

Besides, the colorful and shiny bows add a special accent to the artwork.

Or, frame the pictures and hang them on an entire section of a wall or entranceway, so every one who enters can have a look at them.

Refrigerator Gallery

Stock up on refrigerator magnets, and use them to turn your refrigerator into a gallery. This is an inexpensive and non messy way of putting artwork up, and is easy enough for your child to do it himself.

Clothesline Gallery

Hammer in a couple of nails about 6 feet apart on your child’s bedroom wall, or a passageway, and tie a clothesline to each nail. Use clothespins to hold up artwork. You can create two rows of lines, and push pictures back when they are older, using the front row for the new ones.

Door Gallery

Cover the back of your child’s bedroom door in colored paper chart paper, and staple or stick artwork on it.

Frame Gallery

Buy one of those large inexpensive poster sized box frames, and use them to hold multiple pictures. You can have more than one such frame displayed in the living room, dining area, and another in his bedroom.

If you have more than one preschooler in the house, have separate frames for each child.