From the Scholastic Bookshelf: How to Talk to Your Child About Creativity

You might define creativity for your child as the ability to think up and design new things — to innovate or solve problems. But helping your child understand what makes someone creative means helping them express their feelings and understand how they see the world. 

There are lots of ways to get children to think creatively. Playing, making, and analyzing outcomes are ways your child can discover their inner genius. Remember, it takes an environment conducive to creativity for the mind to flourish. So be prepared to have plenty of materials to experiment with, and a variety of books from which they can discover their interests.

For its 100th anniversary, Scholastic spoke with experts to identify a set of books, articles, and tips that make starting a conversation with your child about creativity easier. These resources are part of a broader initiative, called the Scholastic Bookshelf, created for Instagram to raise awareness around contemporary issues affecting children today.

Books About Creativity
Books are filled with ideas that inspire creativity. Whether it’s a picture book with unique characters or an activity book that draws out a special talent, there’s a just-right book that will resonate with your child and encourage them to be unique.

The Big Orange Splot is a story about creativity and individuality. After Mr. Plumbean’s house is splashed with bright orange paint, he decides a multicolored house is just what he needs, and goes all out painting with every color of the rainbow.

At first, his neighbors object, protesting in favor of a “neat street.” But one by one, their encounters with Mr. Plumbean leave them inspired, and before long, every house on the street is a canvas. Creativity is contagious!

Activity Books to Boost Creativity

Older kids interested in drawing or coloring will find fun in activity books based on their favorite Scholastic book series. 

In Dog Man: Guide to Creating Comics in 3-D, kids get a lesson in comic-book-making from George and Harold, the adventurous duo from the hilarious Captain Underpants series. Readers get step-by-step instructions from the boys on how to draw Dog Man characters, plus advice on how to create their own funny comic-book characters — and bring them to life in 3-D! This book comes with 3-D glasses; a write-on, wipe-off pen; a drawing pad; and over 30 stickers from the New York Times best-selling series.

Fans of The Bad Guys series will love The Bad Guys Movie: The Biggest, Baddest Fill-in Book Ever! This activity book allows kids to co-write the adventures of their favorite comic-book heroes. 

Plus, color enthusiasts and dragon lovers everywhere have a reason to celebrate in Wings of Fire: The Official Coloring Book. Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling series, this fantastic coloring book has almost 100 pages of dragons for kids to color in as they wish. The sky’s the limit!

Articles About Creativity

“Painting Today’s World” in Scholastic Art magazine introduces kids to three contemporary painters using a traditional medium to confront the social issues of our times. Readers meet Kerry James Marshall, whose work highlights inclusion and its opposite; Aliza Nisenbaum, whose portraits explore the immigrant experience today; and Jitish Kallat, an Indian artist offering glimpses of life in Mumbai. 

Finally, there’s “Meet Pigcasso!” in Scholastic Action magazine, about a rescue pig in South Africa that’s earned worldwide recognition for her ability to paint. Using special brushes she can hold in her teeth, Pigcasso has sold more than $200,000 in paintings to date. In 2019, her art show marked the first show ever by a nonhuman animal artist.

“All she wants to do is eat, sleep, and paint,” says Joanne Lefson, who rescued Pigcasso and houses her at Farm Sanctuary South Africa, a farm for rescued animals. Sounds like a true artist!

Be sure to visit the Scholastic Bookshelf for more resources on creativity and other must-discuss topics. If you’re planning to talk with your child about other complex topics and seek tips or book recommendations, we invite you to visit our Tough Topics hub. You’ll find a wealth of advice from Scholastic editors to help you navigate challenging conversations thoughtfully, such as those about:

• Anxiety
• Online Safety
• Self-Esteem

Shop books about creativity below! You can shop all books and activities at The Scholastic Store.