How to nurture your child’s creativity in the age of AI

In a world where ChatGPT can write poems in seconds and AI can paint portraits, many parents are asking us: Where does that leave human creativity, especially for our children?

Whether your child is in primary school just beginning to explore their imagination or in secondary school navigating more complex creative tasks, the question remains the same: how do we help them develop their unique voice in a world where technology can do so much?

Creativity is more important than ever, but it’s also evolving. With the right support, children and teens can learn to use AI thoughtfully while continuing to grow their imagination, curiosity and originality.

Sparking Creativity in Younger Children

1. What does being creative really mean?

When you ask someone what it means to be ‘creative’, their responses often include painting, poetry or music. Creativity is broader than this and much more practical. It’s problem-solving, flexible thinking, being curious and finding unusual solutions. These are all skills that AI can’t replicate: imagination, empathy and originality.

Try this: Pose ‘out the box’ hypothetical questions, such as, ‘What would chairs look like if humans had no knees?’ or ‘How would you redesign school if your school day only lasted 3 hours?’ Open-ended questions allow for broader thinking, imagination and creativity.

2. Boredom is a luxury

With screens offering round the clock entertainment, boredom is almost extinct. However, feeling bored is really important because it’s when creativity often sparks. It encourages the brain to create and imagine rather than consume.

Try this: Set aside ‘screen-free’ time each day, even if it is just 20 minutes. Challenge your child to invent something totally new using only things around the house. This could be a gadget, a game or even a secret code: they have no rules, just their imagination.

3. Let Them Explore AI

AI can actually fuel creativity. Let children use AI to build on ideas, not replace them. Just like a calculator supports maths without replacing the need to understand numbers, AI can help children develop ideas without replacing their own thinking or writing skills. We’re moving into a question culture where the right prompts provoke the best outcomes. Learning to ask thoughtful, specific prompts is a skill and one that will matter more and more.

Try this: Ask your child to think of a scene to write, for example, a stormy night, and come up with a question they could ask AI to help enrich that scene. For example, ‘Can you give me 10 original similes to describe a thunderstorm in a way that feels dramatic and tense?’ The question is effective: it's specific and linked to the creative goal. Now encourage them to choose the ones they like best and adapt them. Then write the scene, blending in the similes and adding their personal touch. This shows them how AI can be used as a creative support tool, not a replacement for their voice.

4. Focus on the journey, not the outcome

We often celebrate the final product (a finished drawing, a good score), but creativity thrives in the process: the trying, failing, reimagining. To enable children to take risks, we need to value effort and exploration as much as, or even more than, results.

Try this: Instead of commenting on the final piece of work produced, ask ‘What was tricky about this?’ or ‘How did you come up with that idea?’  Showing interest about their thinking puts value on how they create, not just what they create.

5. Model curiosity

Your child learns how to think creatively by watching how you explore the world. Let them see you asking questions, wondering aloud, changing your mind or learning something new.

Try this: When unsure, proudly say ‘I don’t know’. Then look it up or find out together together, following the ‘rabbit holes’. This shows children that learning doesn’t stop when the school day ends and that you’re still curious too.

Nurturing Creative Confidence in Teens

As children move into secondary school, creativity can look different. The tasks become more sophisticated, the pressure to perform grows and digital tools are more accessible. Rather than fearing how AI might be used, we can help our children build integrity, intention and independence in their creative process.

Here’s how parents can support older students as they navigate creativity in the AI era:

1. Understand Why They’re Using AI

Teenagers often turn to AI out of uncertainty, not laziness. They might be:

• Struggling to get started

• Feeling anxious about doing it ‘right’

• Unsure about what's expected

Try this: If your child is turning to AI, start by asking why. Understanding their motivation will help you guide them more compassionately, whether it’s about boosting confidence, breaking down the task or offering clarity on expectations.

2. Set Clear Boundaries (Together)

Teenagers respond better to boundaries when they’ve had a say in shaping them. Instead of strict bans, create an understanding of what’s okay.

Try this:
Sit down together and define:

• AI can help with gathering ideas or beating writer’s block

• AI shouldn’t do the whole assignment

It is important for them to understand that writing is how you explore your own ideas and by, using AI, they are missing the chance to develop their voice.

3. Teach AI Literacy

Using AI well is a skill. Help your child to learn how to critique, adapt and build on AI generated responses, rather than simply copying them.

Try this: Ask them to:

• Use AI to generate character names or story starters

• Evaluate the tone or vocabulary of AI-generated text

• Use AI suggestions as a starting point, and then build on them in their own style

This teaches them to use AI as a springboard for creativity, instead of it being a shortcut around it.

4. Focus on the Process

When only the final piece matters, it’s tempting to take shortcuts. Instead, focus on the creative journey.

Try this:

• Encourage them to keep a notebook or voice note diary of their ideas

• Ask to read early drafts, instead of the final piece.

• Praise the risks they took or edits they made.

These habits reinforce that the real value is in their thinking.

5. Highlight Voice and Authenticity

AI struggles with emotional nuance and personal experience. Your teenager, however, will have both in abundance!

Try this:
Challenge them to write about:

• A memory that shaped them

• An opinion they hold strongly

• A piece in the same style of their favourite author or musician

These kinds of tasks are meaningful. They are also harder to duplicate and more rewarding to write.

6. If (When!) It Happens, Handle It Gently

If your child submits something that feels ‘too polished’ or clearly AI-generated, treat it as a learning opportunity.

Try this:

• Be non-judgemental

• Ask them how they approached the task

• Offer them a chance to rework it, with your support

Remember, a calm, curious conversation will lead to better outcomes than a punitive response.

7. Model Creative Integrity

It is often assumed that adults ‘just know’ how to be creative. Show them it’s a process: that is can be messy, personal and sometimes frustrating.

Try this:
Share your own struggles with writing, decision-making or creative projects. Talk about what you scrapped, rewrote or changed your mind on. Let them see that being creative takes time, thought and care.

Final thought

AI is becoming part of our everyday lives. Rather than fearing it, we can use it as a chance to help our children think differently. Creativity is still deeply human. With the right support, your child can develop the curiosity, creativity and confidence to navigate our ever-changing world.