TIP #98: A Simple Way to Boost Creativity and Reduce Screen Time
As we watch kids spend more and more time with screens, we’re also seeing their creativity decline. The good news is that one simple habit can both boost creativity and reduce screen time.
Have you noticed how screens are quietly taking over the in-between moments of childhood? Those long car rides, waiting rooms, and slow afternoons at home are often accompanied now by phones or tablets. And researchers say it’s taking a toll: children’s creativity has been declining for decades.
Picture a child sitting quietly in the back seat of a car, staring out the window, just letting their mind wander. Neuroscientists have discovered that moments like this activate something in the brain called the default mode network.
It’s what happens when the brain isn’t focused on anything in particular.
Researchers believe this is when the brain connects ideas, processes emotions, and generates creative insights. It’s the mental state responsible for creativity, problem-solving, and imagination.
But this state of mind needs one important ingredient… a pause. A segment of time with no input.
But these kinds of moments are disappearing for kids today. Those quiet times of thinking and daydreaming have mostly been replaced with screens.
And while IQ scores continue to rise, creativity scores in children have declined since the 1990s. Research suggests this is why… the constant stream of entertainment from our devices leaves little room for our thoughts to wander.
This signals that something important may be missing from our kids’ daily lives.
The good news is that one simple habit can help reduce screen time and allow kids’ creativity the space to flourish again.
That simple habit is handing kids a sketchbook.
A Sketchbook Turns Waiting Time into Creative Time
A small sketchbook can travel almost anywhere. It fits easily into a backpack or purse, or a pocket in the back seat of your car. Instead of reaching for a phone or tablet, kids can reach for their sketchbook and a pencil.
Those quiet moments spent drawing give the brain room to roam and explore ideas. Sketching and doodling may look unimportant, but they play an important role in creative thinking.
The sketchbook becomes a place for curiosity, observation, and imagination.
My own kids always kept one sketchbook in their bedroom and another in the car for any downtime they might encounter.
What Should Kids Draw in Their Sketchbooks?
The sky’s the limit when it comes to what kids could draw. You could choose from a list of sketchbook prompts to ignite their imaginations and get the wheels turning. Or you could try combining 2 unrelated things, like a tree made of feathers, or a garden of cupcake flowers.
I love to encourage kids to draw things they can actually observe. Contour drawing is a great place to start.
With contour drawing, students slowly follow the edges of an object with their eyes while drawing those edges on paper with their pencil. Blind contour drawing adds an extra challenge. Students draw their subject while looking only at the subject and not at their paper. The results will be funny, and that’s part of the fun!
Contour drawing teaches kids to slow down and truly look at what they see. It’s a great life skill to develop!
Nature also provides endless ideas for drawing in sketchbooks. Kids can draw leaves, rocks, shells, flowers, or other interesting outdoor finds.
Stepping outside for a “field trip” to draw can be a really special experience. In the spring, just before the trees fill with new leaves, is a perfect time for some Negative Space Tree Drawing.
To set the tone and get kids loosened up, you can try some simple drawing warm-ups. These 3 Fun Drawing Warm-ups for Kids are a great place to start.
Kids love clay! Working with clay keeps kids’ hands busy and their minds gently focused. Feeling Sculptures may be the most relaxing and meditative clay project you’ll ever do. It works equally well with pottery clay and Air Dry Clay. I highly recommend this one… it’s like therapy for the soul!
Coloring with pencils or crayons can also be surprisingly powerful and therapeutic. The Healthy Benefits of Coloring for Kids explains how coloring supports focus, calm thinking, and creativity.
Drawing these abstract “tangle” designs can be fun and soothing. Kids can also use their sketchbook to draw a simple abstract design with overlapping shapes and then fill it with color… a low-stakes, high reward activity.
These small art moments may seem simple, but they give the brain something important. They create space.
Like Having a Portable Creativity Lab
A sketchbook turns ordinary moments into opportunities for creative thinking.
It invites kids to observe, experiment, and play with ideas. Those quiet minutes of drawing help activate the brain’s natural creativity network.
In other words, a sketchbook is like a tiny creativity lab kids can carry anywhere. In a noisy digital world, that quiet space matters more than ever.
A Healthy Habit You Can Encourage
Helping kids have a sketchbook accessible is a small thing you can do that produces big benefits. Drawing in a sketchbook is a healthy lifetime habit a child can adopt now and enjoy for their entire life.
an inspiring quote
“Art does not reproduce what we see; rather, it makes us see.” ~ Paul Klee
Drawing isn’t just about copying things. The process of drawing can change how we see the world.
A sketchbook gives kids a place to slow down, observe, and explore ideas. Those quiet moments of drawing help them notice details they might otherwise miss.
Sometimes the best cure for screen overload is simply a pencil, a sketchbook, and a little time to see like an artist.