Mindful Moments
As with many caregivers these days, we feel like we are constantly walking on a tightrope and balancing work and school schedules, healthy meals, extracurricular activities, and running a home, all while trying to fit in social and leisure activities and get enough sleep. Raising young children is a continuous juggling act: prioritizing the most critical items while simultaneously completing a never-ending to-do list. It is almost comical how many things modern parents need to consider these days with children, so we've recently decided to focus on simplification. We've been unplugging and resetting to find peace for ourselves and our children in our daily lives. Taking time away from the additional distractions of the screens in our lives has been one way to reduce the balancing we are doing daily and carve out time for mindfulness and creativity.
According to Healthline, Mindfulness is "gently focusing your awareness on the present moment over and over again." While there are many ways to practice mindfulness in children and adults (such as the brilliant suggestions from the Mindful Child Initiative), one way that we've been particularly interested in is introducing more creativity into our lives. Mindfulness and creativity go hand in hand as they involve intentional time spent unplugged and in the present moment, allowing us to clear our heads from the daily balancing act we find ourselves in.
Benefits of Creativity
Creativity can be a powerful tool for digital detoxing, offering numerous benefits for mental well-being and overall quality of life. Here are some ways creativity can aid when you are looking to unplug intentionally:
- Mindfulness: Engaging in creative activities such as painting, writing, or crafting requires focus and presence in the moment. This mindfulness helps people detach from digital distractions and reconnect with the physical world.
- Stress Reduction: Immersing oneself in a creative task can act as a form of stress relief. Creating art, playing music, or engaging in other creative pursuits can lower cortisol levels and promote relaxation, providing a much-needed break from the constant stimulation of digital devices.
- Improved Mental Health: Studies have shown that participating in creative activities can have a positive impact on mental health by reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Digital detoxing allows individuals to prioritize self-expression and exploration, fostering emotional well-being.
- Enhanced Problem-Solving Skills: Creativity encourages thinking outside the box and exploring new perspectives, which can translate to improved problem-solving skills. Detaching from digital distractions provides the mental space needed to brainstorm innovative solutions to challenges.
- Increased Productivity: Taking regular breaks from digital devices to engage in creative activities boosts productivity. By giving the mind a chance to recharge and refocus, individuals return to tasks with renewed energy and concentration.
- Connection with Others: Creativity often thrives in collaborative environments, whether through group art projects, writing workshops, or music jam sessions. Detoxing from digital devices allows individuals to connect more deeply with others in face-to-face interactions, fostering a sense of community and belonging.
- Self-Discovery and Expression: Creativity provides a means of self-expression and exploration. Through creative activities, individuals can discover new talents, interests, and aspects of their identity that may have been overshadowed by digital distractions.
Incorporating creativity into daily life can complement efforts to detox from digital devices, promoting holistic well-being and a more balanced relationship with technology.
Making It Cute
We are fortunate to be in the business of play. It is here that we can witness creativity blossom firsthand. We get to see open-ended play transform a singular space (our playhouses) into imaginative worlds where children use their creativity to build different scenes and scenarios. Not only are these spaces amazing for imaginative play, but we also LOVE seeing props and art materials used to personalize the spaces. At our in-person events and throughout our online playhouse decorating contests, we have seen our playhouses transform into impressive themed spaces that all come from the imagination of our impressively creative customers.
Recently, our co-founder, Anne Hoehn, had the exciting opportunity to work with her daughter's Art class to engage in some creativity of her own. Partnering with her daughter's Art teacher, they created a concept to decorate a playhouse with colorful flowers to ring in Springtime with a collective creative endeavor. Throughout the process, the children involved in the project were able to really tune into their creative side and connect with each other in a special way. The children were united around a common goal of creating, each one having a role (or roles) in the process and practicing communication and teamwork along the way. At the completion of the project, it became apparent that one of the reasons that this project was so special was that there were no distractions throughout the process. There were no phones, TVs, or screens to hinder the in-the-moment creativity.
Flower-Pop Playhouse Project
If you're looking for an intentional way to unplug and reconnect with those around you, in a classroom or at home, and you'd like to give this project a try, we've included the basics below:
1) Give kids 12x18 sheets of white construction paper.
2) Set out ice cube trays with paints. Paints should be organized by color family. Any type of paint could be used. We used acrylic, tempera, and gloss paints.
3) Kids paint and cover the whole sheet of paper with paint.
4) Provide them with paintbrushes, paint combs, or other paint-scraping tools to create texture while the paint is wet.
5) Allow the paint to dry.
6) Use a free online flower petal template, like this one, to cut out flower petals (some large for the outside and some small for the inside), base and center. Keep petals organized by color.
7) Curl the edges of the paper with a dowel rod and hot glue the petals in layers.
8) Let the kids work together to decorate the playhouse with flowers! We used painter's tape to adhere it to the playhouse in our pics.
More Ways to Tap Into Your Creative Side
If you want to start with something on a smaller scale, consider these ideas to help you and your family quiet the outside noise, turn up the mindfulness, and tap into your creative sides:
- Make puppets: Use leftover craft materials (construction paper, buttons, pipe cleaners, etc.) to make characters that you can use to act out. The Make It Cute playhouse windows create the perfect spot for a puppet show.
- Upcycling projects: Take unused items in your house, like an old pair of shoes or a forgotten lamp, and make it feel brand new by decorating it with markers!
- Nature crafts: Take a walk and collect nature items like leaves, sticks, and rocks and use them to make crafts, like leaf rubbings or painted rocks. You can make this an ongoing activity by creating "fairy houses" in your garden and add items to it whenever you're looking for a family-friendly crafting activity.
- Decorate and send a card: Crayons and markers can go a long way. Put out a postcard and let your imaginations go wild. No one to send a card to? Google the name of your local nursing home to make one of the resident's days.
Bonus Idea: Pick flowers from your garden and get creative while arranging a bouquet. When you're finished, you can deliver it to a neighbor or drop it off at a hospital, nursing home, or homeless shelter.
Make It Cute
At Make It Cute, we are proud that our indoor playhouses provide opportunities for screen-free fun. We know how important creativity is for mindfulness, connection, and development. We will continue to advocate for screen-free playtime because of its numerous benefits for kids. We hope you consider joining us in getting back to the basics of childhood.
Connect with us on Instagram @makeitcutekids to learn more about how our indoor playhouses are perfect for your child's creative side!