10 Exciting Preschool Creativity Activities with Real-Life Applications

When your kiddo imitates you as he enthusiastically tosses wooden blocks in his metal pots and calls them “square ravioli with brown sauce,” there’s more than just the heart-melting, “aww — he’s ready to take over the cooking here soon!” factor. That’s a genuine real-life creativity gem.

Sometimes, when we’re lucky, those flashes of creative flair appear without any coaxing, without running after them with buckets of art supplies and the exasperation of a parent who’s tiredly structuring yet another set of preschool creativity activities.

All of that preschool artsy-fartsy painting and exploring is great and all, but to help your kid’s creativity soar into the realm of real-life applications, give them a chance at being imaginative beyond little kid dress-up and pretending.

Here are 10 fun preschool creativity activities that brim with excitement and have real-life applications to boot.

1. Play “What is it?”

Creativity flourishes when people are forced to consider the use of familiar things in new ways. This improv game means raucous fun and has the added benefit of being an inclusive family activity.

Grab any household item (hint: start with a hairbrush) and pass it around a group of people. Each person assigns a new name and purpose to the same item.

For example, “this is a little sister petting contraption and it works like this.” And so on. As a new person receives a turn, everybody asks, “What is it?”

2. Make up a New Dish Together — From Scratch

This one is great for when it feels like you really do only have wooden blocks on hand for a promising dinner. Tap into that preschool mind that effortlessly oozes creativity (bonus: give your tired parent brain a rest), and let your kiddo help with meal prep.

Definitely don’t let your kid do any cooking alone (that exciting time will come soon enough), but instead take stock of what you have left to cook with and let them do the food orchestrating.

You may end up with a new dish to add to your four-meal kid-friendly repertoire or you may end up with a total dud.

The point is, the creative juices are flowing and this imitates real-life chef originality.

3. Photographer for a day

Allowing your child to be the picture taker on an outing will give him the reins on deciding what best to commit to film. Besides insisting your child get your good side, tell your commissioned pint-sized photographer what you expect.

Are these pictures for grandma, for yourself or for friends to enjoy? Provide a bit of direction in this creative photographic endeavor.

Considering audience and purpose will let your child’s inner artist come forth in a new medium.

4. Play “What Are You Doing?”

“What Are You Doing?” teaches kids to question what they know to be true; in other words, it teaches them to creatively expand their horizons.

This game requires two or more players. The first person begins to mime an action; for example, brushing one’s teeth.

The second person asks, “What are you doing?” Player one must say anything but what they are actually mimicking. So the mime can say, “I’m baking a cake.” The second player must mime the action that the first person directed (i.e. baking a cake).

Play continues until somebody gets stumped or until you can’t continue on because of tiring laughter.

5. Play the describing game

This fun guessing game asks children to think on their feet; a useful life skill for being a capable adult.

This game requires two or more players. One person closes their eyes while the other hides an object in a paper bag. The describer gives one descriptive statement at a time and then allows for a guess.

For example, “This thing is blue.” And then waits for a response. Play goes on until the item is identified and players switch roles.

6. Feng Shui A Room

If you see my living room, you know my style is more Feng Shhh-Don’t-Look-Under-The-Couch, but my point is get to rearranging anyway.

Do your kid’s room.  There’s no need for blueprints or backbreaking labor here, let your kid start with just the décor. Let him decide where to move his poster, family pictures, toybox etc.

As your child discovers where his things can go, he will consider the need to have neat spaces on his own (fingers crossed!).

When he gets to be the decider, those room decisions will be purposeful and inventive. And decades down the line when it’s his turn to do this on his own, he’ll have experience from which to pull from.

7. Grocery fruit exploration

Wondering about new things is a surefire way to get the creative mind doing somersaults. When you go grocery shopping, do a bit of exploring with your little one and visit a new section of produce.

Grab a few foreign (or new-to-you) fruits and engage your child in questioning what might be inside. When you get home, cut up the fruit, eat it and consider how it might be featured in some meals.

“Same old, same old” gets tiring quick. Teach your child that it’s fun to venture into the unknown (grocery section).

8. Let them dress themselves

While this one seems more like the chore you have to coax your kid into doing daily, what gives this creativity activity an extra level of complexity is when you give your child a purpose for dressing himself instead of nagging demands.

Back away from statements such as “put on your shirt, shorts and whichever jacket is clean!” Instead give them a “we’re going to the park, now choose some clothes!”

The free rein on clothes choice will result in mismatched mayhem the first few times — that’s normal. Remember to give gentle feedback.

In time, their choices will not only show creativity but also purpose. You’re helping mold a mindful and stylish person who will consider his options instead of fretting that “there’s nothing to wear!”

9. Make a new pancake-type together

This is “Make Up a New Dish Together” lite. For when you kinda want to provide your preschooler some creativity activities, but you also don’t want to commit the unspeakable sin that is ruining pancakes.

Have your kid think of yummy pancake fillings and toss them into those heavenly fluff mounds as they cook on the griddle. Your kiddo is learning the important lesson of taking a plain something and turning it into a drool-worthy delicious something else with just a few adjustments.

10. Let them be bored

Boredom. You remember that, don’t you? You experienced some of it way back before kids, when you wasted entire afternoons, never once imagining you’d be longing for such uneventful times.

When I was a kid, the utterance of the word, “bored”was a one-way ticket to chore-town, but you’re a cool parent and would never be so cruel. Use this time instead to turn the expectation of being entertained back on your kid.

As tempting as it may seem, don’t jump at the chance to entertain them; remember that those ripe preschool brains are capable of endless imagining.