Eighty percent want their children to be more creative
Eight out of ten parents want their children to be creative more frequently – and 90 percent believe it improves their mental health, according to new statistics from Maped Helix.
A survey by stationery specialist, Maped Helix, has found a huge proportion of the 2,000 respondents would like their children to engage in activities such as writing, drawing and modelling on a more regular basis.
Lianne Fletcher, head of marketing at Maped Helix, said: “Our innovative products are all about inspiring creativity in young people and creative writing is an excellent way for children to explore both their emotions and their imaginations.”
Maped Helix has also announced a new competition, Once Upon a Classroom, in which schoolchildren in years three to five team up to write a story. The best entries will be published in a book, with a front cover designed by pupils, which will be presented to the successful schools.
The competition is backed by children’s author and illustrator Ffion Jones, a mental health advocate whose books focus on wellbeing in young people.
Ffion said: “I am not at all surprised that the majority of parents want to see their children being more creative for the benefit of their mental health. I know from my work with young people that engaging with the arts and getting creative can really make a huge difference to mood, both in the short-term and the long-term.”
The Once Upon a Classroom campaign launches on the first day of National Stationery Week on 13 May. Schools can sign up now by visiting www.mapedhelix.co.uk
