Giving children the opportunity to be creative requires allowing children to find and solve problems and communicate ideas in novel and appropriate ways. This paper presents 12 basic principles for teachers to follow when presenting art activities with children. These principles include: the process of creating a picture or project is more important than the end product; do not expose children to coloring books, patterns, or coloring stencils; do not compare one child's art to another's; do not show children "how to draw"; and never tell a child to "stop scribbling." The creative stages all children go through are also described. First is the scribble stage (ages 2 to 4 years), during which the child progresses from uncontrolled scribble to controlled scribble to a named controlled scribble; then the preschematic stage (4 to 7 years), in which the child draws "things" that are not easily labeled and float all over the page; and finally, the schematic stage (7 to 9 years), in which the child's drawing can be easily labeled as they begin to draw on a baseline. Directions for 16 creative art activities are appended. (ND)