My toddler is a great creative playmate and teacher. Here’s a snapshot of some of the things I’m grateful to be learning or doing with him:
- Enjoying bright colors
- Playing mama’s drum together
- Noticing my assumptions about the world
- Learning how to be more flexible
- Taking delight in the small things
- Scribbling with crayons
- Laughing because the other person is laughing
- Getting dirty
- Remembering that every object can be a toy
- Trusting my intuition
- Examining my impulse to say no
- Blowing bubbles
- Exuding enthusiasm and praise for the smallest successes
- Exploring textures
- Choosing to be in the present moment
- Walking barefoot on the grass or sand
- Forgetting about making a mess
- Acting on impulse
- Saying hi to all the dogs and cats on the block every day
- Talking to strangers
- Remembering how to be fully process-oriented
- Dancing wildly around the living room
- Taking naps
- Learning how to meditate or exercise in 5-minute chunks
- Learning and singing new children’s songs
- Making up new silly lyrics on the spot for familiar melodies
- Following the giggles
- Rediscovering creative potential in everyday objects like boxes and paper
- Figuring out how to make weird noises of all kinds
- Appreciating the creativity inherent in chaos
- Daydreaming
How do you and your child share creative joy? What do you learn from playing with your kid?