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Inspiring Creativity

Pick and Draw illustrations by a seven-year-old

Have you ever played the game, “Pick and Draw”? This simple card game (go here to enter a giveaway for the game!) is a favorite with all of my kids! The photo above is one of seven-year-old Emma’s creations from this game, and the three below were drawn my five-year-old Johnny:

Pick and Draw illustrations by a five-year-old

Rich Davis invented this game, and now he has compiled and illustrated The Big Book of Pick and Draw Activities! Many of the topics in this book are a bit advanced for my kids, but some (use Pick and Draw to Write Stories in an Hour, for example) are things we can do right now. This is a book that I think we will enjoy for years to come – and the same goes for the game!

The book is not all fun and games, either – it covers ideas for working with students with autism and related disorders, using Pick and Draw to teach nonfiction writing, and even using Pick and Draw in grief counseling with children. Rather than a book you’ll go through chapter by chapter, I see this book as a resource and a place to turn to for creative inspiration and problem-solving.

I love that Pick and Draw encourages creativity, but sometimes even a drawing card game can be daunting – or simply not fun, if drawing isn’t your thing. That’s where the second book comes in!

Creative Thinking for Dummies is a book full of ideas to inspire creativity in every part of life – from preparing and committing to creative thinking and creativity to living creatively and creative problem-solving. I doubt anyone will connect with the entire book, but there is something in there for everyone – from the fairly standard mind map to tips for indulging in creative sleep!

What role does creativity play in your life?

Disclosure: I received copies of these books to review, and won a copy of the game in a giveaway a couple years ago. This post contains affiliate links.

 

 

 

MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.

16 thoughts on “Inspiring Creativity”

  1. Creative sleep?! I am curious! So true that drawing isn’t everyone’s thing. My son really likes to be creative in the third dimension with Legos and clay. Although I love his drawings too!

  2. That game looks like fun – I love reading about all the ways you inspire your children to be creative.

  3. Varya @ littleartists

    Sounds like fun! We let our child create as much as she wants, in all areas of life. Sometimes her imagination takes her FAR away ha ha

  4. I think letting our children the freedom to be creative is so important. Their is nothing sweeter then seeing them play in ways that display the imaginary world, because all kids have it in them, to be creative. :-)

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