Is it OK if my child just wants to do the same craft over and over?
In short, my answer to this is yes. If your child is captivated by a particular arts and crafts activity and wants to repeat it again and again this might be just what their brain needs for learning.
Here's why, and here's how to change it up a little and spark further creativity with your kids:
Why Repeating a Craft Activity is Great:
It allows your child to practice using a material, and you to practice facilitating a craft activity. I think that any family who wants to enjoy creative activities with their children will benefit from just “practicing” being creative together. I mention in The Truth About Crafting With Kids that we have some craft activities that we do over and over again. This is satisfying to my kids because they can master how to use the different components of the craft, plus it gives me a chance to let the boys work on something they already know how to do while I distract the toddler.
It is a fabulous way to learn. What may seem ordinary to you (the way a pencil feels being dragged across paper for instance) is new to your child. Experimenting with repetition allows your child to discover that their action will produce predictable results. It gives them a sense of authority and confidence to be able to repeat something.
It can be a stepping off point for new creative adventures. Instead of trying to explain a whole new project to a child with a short attention span you can bring out materials they are already familiar with and then just drop in one unexpected element. You might try setting a basket of gems out next to a child playing with play dough, or bringing a paintbrush and a cup of water out for a child coloring with markers. you can use a question from this list of 15 questions for creativity if you're stuck on how to tweak an activity.
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Alissa Zorn is an author, and founder of the website Overthought This. She's a coach and cartoonist passionate about helping people overcome perfectionism and shame to build authentic, joyful lives. Alissa is certified through the International Coach Federation and got her Trauma-Informed Coaching certification from Moving the Human Spirit. She wrote Bounceback Parenting: A Field Guide for Creating Connection, Not Perfection, and is always following curiosity to find her next creative endeavor.