Creative Activities for Older Children

Children love to be creative, and while getting messy with paints, play dough and or kinetic sand is great fun for younger children, older children often like something that is more of a challenge. It can sometimes be tricky to find creative activities for older children, as most seem to be aimed at a younger stage. If you are looking for ways to keep older children entertained while allowing them to develop their creative thinking, here are some creative activities to help them do that.

Finger Knitting

Finger knitting is something that is easy to learn the basics of, but there is room to develop your skills to create more complex designs. Lots of things can be made from finger knitting. Think yarn bags, scarves, cute toy creatures, and more. Once learned, finger knitting is a fun activity that can be picked up whenever there’s a need for a little creative time.

Mosaics

Mosaic work is an absorbing creative activity that can feel a little like assembling a puzzle into a decorative pattern or picture. If you have any old crockery, getting older children to break them into small pieces is a fun activity. Make sure they wear gloves and eye protection! On a piece of plywood, they can draw a design in pencil. Then, using glue, add the pieces of tile in the positions of choice. Once the board is covered, a tile grout is applied to finish the look.

Scrapbooking

Scrapbooking is the creation of a book or journal that uses other forms than just the written word. It allows children to keep treasured memories by gluing objects into a scrapbook, such as a ticket stub to remind them of a day out, photos or dried flowers. The pages are decorated using color and paper-craft to create a visual way of preserving special moments and emotions. The best thing about scrapbooking is that it is easy to get started, and it is a way for children and teens to express themselves creatively.

Video Art

Channel, a child’s inner director by letting them learn the basics of video editing. With the rise of YouTubers, viewing home created videos is something that older children will be familiar with. The visual elements of creating videos make it fun! Video editor software can help a child develop skills in creating their own movies, documentaries, or video journals.

Learning to Code

Avid gamers will relish the change at learning how to create their own games. Computer coding is something that is more accessible to children of all ages, and there are apps that make learning how to code a fun activity.

Children of all ages get pleasure out of creativity, so finding activities that appeal to older children is a good way for them to have fun while using their creative thinking skills. Spending time and care to make something, either physical or digital, and then seeing the end results, help children feel a sense of pride in their achievements and sets up a lifelong love of being creative.

Disclosure:  This is a contributed post.