Creativity Isn’t a Luxury, It’s a Lifeline

Have you ever caught your child talking to an imaginary friend on a walk through the woods, or turning a stick into a spaceship or a sword or a spoon?

If you’re like most parents, your first reaction might be to smile… and then second-guess it.
“Isn’t this a little too much?”
“Shouldn’t they be focusing on something real?”
“Will they grow out of this?”

You’re not alone.

We live in a culture that prizes efficiency; structure and measurable results are the goal. So when creativity shows up in messy and unexpected ways, we can be tempted to limit it. But what if those very moments, the imaginative games, the backyard adventures, the made-up songs, the funny drawings, the tangled stories, are not distractions from your child's development, but fuel for it?

The Research Is Clear: Nature Fuels Creativity

Dr. Cathy Jordan, professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota and part of the Children and Nature Network, says it beautifully:

“Creativity is like a room with many doors… Nature opens more of those doors.”

And when kids walk through those doors, stress goes down. Wonder goes up. Learning deepens. Their brains rewire for flexibility and empathy. These are not bonus skills. These are resiliency muscles.

And in a world where anxiety, boredom, loneliness, and stress are rising, even in young kids, creativity might be one of the best tools we have.

What If My Kids Don’t Like Nature?

Some kids rush into the outdoors as if it were a playground designed just for them. Others? Not so much.

But here’s the thing: just because your child isn’t the mud-between-the-toes type doesn’t mean nature can’t nurture their creativity.

Maybe your child isn’t swinging from trees, but they might enjoy sketching a leaf or naming cloud shapes while lying on a picnic blanket. Maybe it’s not the wilderness that wakes them up, but the space to wonder.

Nature doesn’t require kids to “be a certain way.” It just invites them to notice and imagine. And when we let our kids respond to nature at their own pace, their God-given creativity starts to shine in surprising ways.

When Imagination Feels… a Little Much

As kids get older it might be natural to wonder, “What if creativity is getting in the way of them ‘growing up’?”

Dr. Kathy’s response was encouraging and grounded: don’t worry. Just because your 13-year-old still builds stories in the backyard doesn’t mean they’ll be pretending they’re a Jedi at 23. In fact, it might mean they’re learning how to manage stress, process emotions, problem-solve, or just enjoy being a kid for a little longer.

Creativity isn’t escapism. It’s engagement. Kids who are allowed to imagine are practicing the very things that will help them navigate reality with grace, grit, and growth.

God's First Act Was Creativity

Genesis 1 doesn’t begin with rules. It begins with imagination: God speaks. Shapes. Names. Separates. Fills. Blesses.

He creates.

And then, He calls His creation “good.”

When your kids create, they are participating in the image of a creative God. Creativity isn’t just something we allow. It’s something we celebrate. Because it shows our kids how to think, how to wonder, how to try again, and how to become more like the One who made them.

Creativity Builds Character

When Dr. Kathy wrote Parent Differently, she included character traits that matter for our kids’ development, and creativity shows up in two powerful ones:

• Flexibility: the willingness to adapt, try something new, and not give up when plans change.

• Resourcefulness: finding a new way when the old way doesn’t work.

Creative kids grow into resilient adults. They become problem-solvers, peacemakers, and purpose-driven people. Isn't that the kind of future we want to shape?

Build Creative Rhythms with the 8 Great Smarts

Want to encourage your kids' creativity this week? Try these ideas for each smart:

• Word Smart – Invite your kids to write a poem or silly story inspired by something they saw outside. Or invent new names for plants or animals!

• Logic Smart – Challenge them to count how many different sounds they hear in nature or invent a new kind of flower using a pattern.

• Picture Smart – Have them draw their favorite scene from a hike or park visit. Or use sidewalk chalk to turn your driveway into a masterpiece.

• Music Smart – Sit outside and make music with what you find: sticks, rocks, leaves. Write a rhythm or song based on the sounds of the outdoors.

• Body Smart – Create obstacle courses using logs and rocks, or pretend to be animals as you walk through a park or trail.

• Nature Smart – Go on a “color hunt” and find every shade of green you can. Look at the clouds and talk about what they could become.

• People Smart – Pair up for a nature scavenger hunt or work together on a backyard “build:” a fort, a fairy garden, or even a stick boat.

• Self Smart – Give your child a notebook and a quiet spot outside to reflect, write, or pray. Ask them how being outdoors makes them feel.