Do you want to help your kids become more creative? Letting them watch movies like the Harry Potter series might help. According to a study by Lancaster University, kids who watch movies with magical content score better on creativity tests than kids who don’t.

For the study, 52 children from ages four to six were divided into two groups and were shown two 15-minute clips from the movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. One group was shown scenes which involved magic while the other watched normal scenes without any fantastical events. Using simple creativity tests, researchers then found out that those who watched the scenes with magic did better than the others.

According to researchers Dr. Eugene Subbotsky, Claire Hysted, and Nicola Jones from the Department of Psychology at Lancaster University, "Magical thinking enables children to create fantastic imaginary worlds, and in this way enhances children’s capacity to view the world and act upon it from multiple perspectives. The results suggested that books and videos about magic might serve to expand children’s imagination and help them to think more creatively."

There are many wonderful kid-friendly films that involve one form of magic or another. Why don’t you and your kids take turns choosing movies that feature magic to watch every weekend? Not only will you be fostering their creativity, you’ll also be creating a wonderful bonding experience for your family.


(Photo by D'Arcy Norman via Flickr Creative Commons)