Cookie Camp Week 3: Creativity

It’s Creativity week at Cookie Camp!  Each of our weekly themes are centered around our core beliefs and values here in the Keller household and at Jenny Cookies Bake Shop.  I’ve spent the last 14 years building a brand with creativity at the forefront.  From creative cookie and dessert designs to unique entertaining and party ideas to home decor, I’ve consistently strived to share original, clever ideas with my audience.  I’ve been told numerous times “You’re so creative, I’m just not creative like you”.  Guys, creativity is for everyone.  We are all creative in our own ways!!  

Being creative helps in all areas of your life and work, from becoming a better problem solver to reducing stress!  Creativity helps us see things differently and better deal with uncertainty.  It’s been studied that creative people are better able to live with uncertainty because they can adapt their thinking to allow for the flow of the unknown.  If that isn’t more relevant to our current times, I don’t know what is!  We are living in the unknown.  What a great time to make creativity a habit, to learn new, resourceful ways to solve problems in our work and life.

Creativity is the ability to both imagine original ideas or solutions to problems and actually do what needs to be done to make them happen. Creative thinking is a critical skill; not only for artists or musicians, but also for kids as a way of thinking about—and being in—the world.  When children make something with their own hands, it enhances their self- worth.  Each little piece of art, fort, lego creation or sandcastle is something they can learn from and feel proud of.  When you react in a positive way to something they have made, it enhances their self-confidence, helping them feel valued and important.  

Creativity is also the means by which humans of all ages make an impact on the world and other people around them. The world our children will inherit is complex, and their generation will need to imagine, innovate and implement solutions to big and very complicated problems.  This week at Cookie Camp I encourage you to get creative with your kids.   Whether that means cooking something new in the kitchen, working on an art project, making up a song or game, even rearranging a bedroom…the ideas are endless.  Might be messy, could be time consuming, maybe not your favorite, but I guarantee your kids will remember you letting them get creative and may even inspire you along the way! 

If you’re struggling to think of a creative activity, I have a few simple ideas below.   At the end of the post you’ll find a free download of basic stenciled outlines (heart, rainbow, leaf, tent, etc).  Send the kids on a nature adventure to forage for leaves, flowers, sticks and rocks.  Once they’ve found their supplies, use them to create art using the outlines below.  

Instead of nature, you could fill in the stencils by coloring, painting or even drawing a picture inside the shape.  Cut old magazines or photos to create a summer collage.  Glue dry cereal or noodles to the paper to make a new design.  I can’t wait to see what you create!  

If you’re local, bring in your art (or a photo of your art) Saturday August 8th to Jenny Cookies Bake Shop to earn your Creativity Cookie patch!  Or if you decide to work on an alternative creativity project this week, we can’t wait to hear what you did!  Let us know when you come into the shop how you were creative this week.  Keep tagging us at @jennycookies in your Cookie Camp adventures.  You are spreading inspiration not only to those around you but to people all over.  Keep it up, Campers! 

Grab your stencils below: 

CookieCampStencils

Grab one of our limited edition Cookie Camp tees or sweatshirts here, before they’re gone!  If you’re new to Cookie Camp, it’s not too late to join us.  Get all the info in this post and join us for the remaining weeks.  

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Photos by Kelly Clare Photography