Strengthening Creativity
Published articles
on making child creativity flourish
CREATIVE PLAY HELPS CHILDREN GROW
Marilyn Lopes
Extension Specialist, Family Life Education
Cape Cod Cooperative Extension
University of Massachusetts
Every child is born with creative
potential, but this potential may be stifled if care is not taken
to nurture and stimulate creativity. Creativity shows one's uniqueness.
It is the individual saying: "I can be; I can do." Isn't
this what we want for our children? Creativity is the ability
to see things in a new and unusual light, to see problems that
no one else may even realize exist, and then come up with new,
unusual, and effective solutions to these problems.
WAYS TO STRENGTHEN A
CHILD'S CREATIVITY
Relax the controls. Adults who constantly exert supervision
and control diminish the spontaneity and self-confidence that
are essential to the creative spirit.
Inspire perseverence. All the creative energy in the world is
useless if the product is not seen through to completion. Show
appreciation for a child's efforts. Suppress the impulse to accomplish
tasks for children.
Tolerate the "offbeat." Let children know that it is not always
critical to have the "correct" answer to the problem
- that novel, innovative, and unique approaches are valued as
well.
Provide a creative atmosphere. Creative materials should be available
to the young child for his use. Some of the basic equipment includes
books, records, drawing materials, objects to make sounds with,
clay, and blocks. Toys for imagining: Supply preschoolers with
unstructured toys and materials. Provide the child with toys that
can become a variety of things. Be careful about discouraging
daydreaming. Daydreaming is really an imagery process. Some of
what goes on in the name of daydreaming is really problem solving.
Planning and problem-solving. Encourage creative problem solving in
a variety of ways. Teach a youngster to look at alternatives,
evaluate them, and then decide how to carry them out successfully.
Offer - but do not pressure. Resist the temptation to overcrowd children
with organized activities in an attempt to cultivate their creativity.
Allow the child time to be alone to develop the creativity that
is innate in all of us.
CREATIVE GAMES
OBJECT CREATION
Have the children create a "machine" piece by piece.
Some players become parts that move and make noise, while other
players operate the machine. Others can then guess what it is.
Try making a lawnmower with people as wheels, body, and handle,
and have another player push it. Everyone can join in the sound
effects as it tackles the lawn. More good objects to role play:
eggbeater, record player, garbage disposal, toaster, pencil sharpener,
and water fountain.
CONTINUING STORY
Someone starts a story and each person adds a part.
CREATIVE DRAMATIC PLAY
One of the best ways children have to express themselves is through
creative dramatic play. Here they feel free to express their inner
feelings. It occurs daily in the lives of young children, as they
constantly imitate the people, animals, and machines in their
world. It helps them understand and deal with the world. Stimulate
this spontaneous kind of drama by providing simple props and encouragement.
Animal Cracker Game - Child chooses one cracker; looks at
it; then eats it. Then the child becomes that animal for 1-2 minutes.
Read a story and then act it out.
CREATIVE MOVEMENT
A child can develop and express
his or her personality in his own way - pretending to be animals,
snowflakes, fairies, giants, snails, mice, etc.
Role playing family happenings,
everyday activities such as a visit to the doctor, store or bank,
day care situations, etc., stimulates creative thinking and is
a good way to help children see the viewpoints of others, help
them explore their own feelings, and handle their emotions.
The following are some creative
play activities that require the use of
large muscles and help in the development of those muscles:
Follow the Leader - The leader child moves freely about.
He or she may
imitate animals, hop, skip, or whatever. The others must follow
the
leader and act as the leader does.
Guess What I Am? - Without saying a word, a child tries
to act out the
movements of some object. Suggestions include an airplane making
a
landing, a rooster strutting around the barnyard, a cement truck
dumping
its load, a clock telling the time of day. The child may think
up
things to do, or the teacher may whisper suggestions.
Building with Sand, Mud and
Clay - Children use large
muscles to build
sand mounds with moats around them. Sand pies and sand forts can
be
built in a sandbox, on a sand table, or at the beach. Children
use mud
to make large structures. Clay is also used to create structures
and
shapes.
CREATIVE QUESTIONING
Ask open-ended questions: Show the child a picture, then ask questions
to stimulate and create a thinking atmosphere, for example: What
are the people in the picture doing? What are the people saying?
What would happen if ...?
Ask children to use their senses:
Young children may often
have their creative talents stretched by asking them to use their
senses in an unusual way.
* Have children close their eyes
and then guess what you have placed in their hands - a piece of
foam rubber, a small rock, etc.
* Have children close their eyes and guess at what they hear -
use such sounds as shuffling cards, jingling coins, rubbing sandpaper,
ripping paper, etc.
Ask children about changes:
One way to help children
to think more creatively is to ask them to change things to make
them the way they would like them to be, for example:
* What would taste better if it
were sweeter?
* What would be nicer if it were smaller?
* What would be more fun if it were faster?
* What would be better if it were quieter?
* What would be happier if it were bigger?
* What could be more exciting if it went backwards?
Ask questions with lots of
answers. Any time you
ask a child a question which requires a variety of answers, you
are aiding creative thinking skills. Here are some examples using
the concept of water:
* What are some of the uses of
water?
* What floats in water?
* How does water help us?
* Why is cold water cold?
* What always stays underwater?
* What are the different colors that water can be?
Other concepts: fire, sand, cars,
smoke, ice
Ask "What would happen
if..." questions.
These questions are fun to ask and allow the children to really
use their imaginations. Here are some:
* What would happen if all the
trees in the world were blue?
* What would happen if all the cars were gone?
* What would happen if everybody wore the same clothes?
* What would happen if you could fly?
* What would happen if no one cleaned the house?
Ask "In how many different
ways..." questions.
These questions also extend a child's creative thinking.
* In how many different ways could
a spoon be used?
* In how many different ways could a button be used?
* In how many different ways could a string be used?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
DOCUMENT USE/COPYRIGHT
National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Part of CYFERNET, the
National Extension Service Children Youth and Family Educational
Research Network. Permission is granted to reproduce these materials
in whole or in part for educational purposes only(not for profit
beyond the cost of reproduction) provided that the author and
Network receive acknowledgment and this notice is included:
Reprinted with permission from
the National Network for Child Care -
NNCC. (1993). Creative play helps children grow. In M. Lopes (Ed.)
CareGiver News
(October, p. 3). Amherst, MA: University of
Massachusetts Cooperative Extension.
7
Easy Creative Rituals to Spark Your Imagination
and Inspire Your Soul
Written by: Nancy Marmolejo
Web Site: Comadre Coaching
Creativity is a mysterious force
that visits us with great ideas, new ways of seeing the world
and the courage to do things differently. Revitalizing your creative
talents will help you in the most unexpectedly wonderful ways:
a new business idea, a renewed commitment to self-care, an appreciation
for the beauty that lies all around us.
Finding a small bit of time each
day to feed this force will not only reward you with increased
creativity, but also an expanded sense of appreciation and gratitude
for the creative process.
The following list highlights
simple yet powerful actions you can take to spark your creative
energy from the inside out.
1. Keep a Daily Journal
Use a journal to jot down the meandering thoughts of your mind.
Write, draw, doodle, paste collages together. Stuck between your
great ideas are random thoughts, mental notes, and menial observations.
Use your journal as a place to deposit these thoughts, keeping
your creative mental workspace clear. Think of it as feng shui
for the mind, a way of keeping the creative juices flowing.
2. Create Sacred Space
Find a place in your home to keep inspiring, motivating and spiritually
significant objects. Remind yourself that creativity flows like
water and wind, that it is steadfast like earth and powerful like
fire. Collect objects from nature to remind you of this. Place
things that awe and inspire you, projects you're most proud of,
and photos of people who support and encourage your creative action.
3. Reflection.
Reflection can be a minute of appreciating someone or something,
or it can be a day of meditation and writing. Find ways to incorporate
reflection into your daily routine, noting how experiences and
interactions help you grow as a creative person. This is great
for surveying what inspires you and what blocks you, what attracts
you and what doesn't.
4. Get Away.
If you can, find some time to sneak away and enjoy a creative
pleasure. It can be an hour wandering through a craft store, window
shopping, a hike in nature or a visit to a special place. If you
have kids and can't get away alone, don't worry. Enjoy the outing
and reflect on it together. There are no rules to creative getaways.
It is whatever touches you at that moment.
5. Do Something Loca.
What's something crazy you've always dreamed of doing but didn't
because of insecurity, fear or intimidation? Make a pact with
yourself to get to know your Inner Loca (or loco for you guys
reading this) and find ways to let her out to play each and every
day.
6. See the World Through a Child's
Eyes.
Children have the amazing ability to be open to the possibilities
of just about anything. Give yourself playtime to see the world
through the eyes of a child. Sometimes it can be simply sitting
on the floor and looking at a room from a new angle, or giving
yourself permission to laugh and have fun.
7. Chart Your Course
It's one thing to dream of creative things and it's another thing
to make them happen. Look at all the wonderful ideas you have
and pick one to act upon. Make a commitment to do at least one
daily action to support this idea. Doing the footwork to make
your dream a reality will show you how easy it really is to turn
ideas into action.
Ritual is a series of repeated
acts. By incorporating creative ritual in your life, you will
increase your innovation and creativity in ways that will surprise
and delight you. Try at least one of these actions and feel your
creativity grow!
Nancy Marmolejo helps creative
and entrepreneurial women hone in on their core strengths to turn
ideas into action. She helps both the wildly creative and the
mildly creative launch innovative ideas, enter new markets and
build upon natural talents.
Visit Nancy Marmolejo on the
web at http://www.ComadreCoaching.com to receive a free copy of
"Get Creative Now! Four Simple Tools to Boost Your Creativity
from the Inside Out" and the award winning newsletter "The
Pocket Comadre".
From Children's Stories to Study Skills: Help Your
Children Succeed in School
Written by: Barbara Freedman-De Vito
Web Site: Baby Bird Productions Children's Stories
Introduction
As a parent who wants the best
for your children, there are undoubtedly many things that you
already do every day to help your children succeed in school.
The purpose of this article is to provide some practical ideas
for you to try. Some of these suggestions may be new to you, many
will be familiar, and some are just plain common sense but, hopefully,
they will all serve as reminders of the many simple steps you
can take that are too often taken for granted or forgotten about,
due to the hectic pace of everyday living.
Read to your kids, whatever their
ages
First of all, read to your children.
We all know that this is important, but I'd like to point out
that reading aloud should begin in infancy. It can contribute
to your baby's developing attention span and receptive language
skills. In addition, I'd like to encourage parents to read to
growing children, even once they are able to read on their own.
Don't stop once your kids are in elementary school for, whatever
the status of their reading skills, hearing a good book read aloud
is an experience apart.
Being read to allows children
to focus more on the descriptive passages and the action, rather
than having to struggle with understanding every single word.
It also allows them to hear great children's stories that are
beyond their current reading level, and it's a wonderful way for
a family to share a magical experience. Choose a children's book
that can also be enjoyed by you as an adult, and have a family
reading session each evening or each week. A classic children's
story, such as "The Wind in the Willows," or the Harry
Potter books might be perfect for your family, depending on the
ages and interests of your children.
Encourage independent reading
and library use
Offer quality children's literature
to your growing children and encourage them to read on their own
- at their own level and at their own pace. Fiction and nonfiction
can both open up new worlds of knowledge and experience and help
prepare kids for success in school and in adult life, and don't
forget that online children's stories are an exciting new resource
to add to your reading repertoire.
Take your children to the local
public library. Be sure that each member of the family has his
or her own library card. Help your children see the public library
not just as a place associated with homework and drudgery, but
rather as an exciting doorway to interesting information and adventure.
Encourage library book borrowing related to any special topic
that interests your kids - from astronomy to adventure stories,
from fact to fantasy.
Get your kids to participate in
some of the special free extra activities and programs that are
regularly scheduled in many public libraries, like storyhours,
craft projects, films, and summer reading clubs. Take your children
to museums, concerts, puppet shows and the like. Expose them to
any forms of entertainment and cultural enrichment that you may
be lucky enough to have access to.
Develop effective research skills
and good study habits
Help your kids develop research
skills that will serve them well, not only on school projects,
but later in daily life as an adult. For instance, if you're planning
a family trip, let the kids conduct library and Internet-based
research on possible destinations, sites of interest, driving
or flying routes, and how to dress appropriately for the climate
of your destination spot. If you're thinking of buying a new car,
let your kids take part in your consumer research, comparing different
car models according to a variety of pertinent criteria.
Nurture good study habits and
self-discipline. Set aside a regular, daily study time for homework
in a quiet, well-lit room. Be sure that your kids have a study
environment that's sound physically, as well as conducive to mental
concentration. A quiet room is important, but so too is good lighting,
a chair that provides good back support and access to all the
materials that your children need to complete projects. Supply
them with pencils, erasers, rulers, and so forth.
Encourage kids to keep their desk
or other study area neat and well organized. This will prevent
lots of time-wasting searches for materials and will really pay
off as your children get older and their school assignments become
more complex. Good organizational skills, which include the arrangement
of physical objects, plus the logical structuring of the steps
involved in completing any given project, can last a lifetime.
Take an interest in your kids'
day-to-day school life
Take an interest in your children's
school projects. Encourage them to show you reports they've written
or pictures they've drawn. Make them see that you care about what
they're doing and about how they're doing, but don't make them
feel like they're constantly being monitored or judged. Don't
add pressure, just give them plenty of support, encouragement
and praise for jobs well done. Provide them with the resources
they need (such as Internet access, library time, books and magazine
articles) to do a good job on school assignments, but... resist
the temptation to do the school projects for them.
Take the same approach with everyday
homework. If your child's having trouble with a math problem,
review the rules, explain the procedures, and check the results,
but don't just give a child the answers. The learning process
is more important than a list of correct answers to hand in to
the teacher.
Help them discover their special
talents
Set aside some time for engaging
in special activities with your children. Build a model volcano
together, perform science kit experiments, design a family tree,
build your own dollhouse, draw maps, etc. Make learning into a
fun and creative process. Help your kids discover their own unique
aptitudes and talents, as they discover new subjects that might
interest them throughout their lives. Stimulate your children's
natural intellectual curiosity and spark their desire to learn
more, to take a subject to a deeper level.
Give your kids an opportunity
to participate in extra-curricular activities: to learn to play
a musical instrument or to play team sports, for example. Again,
expose your children to as many different skills and pastimes
as possible, so that they can discover which ones will really
click with them. See where their aptitudes and proclivities lie,
but don't force them to participate in something if they don't
enjoy it and don't put undue pressures on them. It's a cliché,
but don't try to vicariously live out your own dreams through
your children.
Go to PTA meetings, attend school
plays and music recitals. Once more, it's important to show your
kids that you care and that you share their interests and concerns,
that you know what's going on in their lives and that you're proud
of their achievements. This kind of regular positive reinforcement
can help them develop self-confidence and a solid sense of self-esteem.
Go that extra mile
Among the most precious gifts
that you can give to your children is your time. Put them first
and make time for them. Build a happy, stable home environment,
full of love and security, and you've already gone a long way
towards helping your children thrive and succeed both in school
and in life. Be involved in the big and the small events that
make up their daily lives. Offer your support, encouragement,
resources and love. Be there for them, no matter how busy your
professional life is or whatever other commitments you have. Before
you know it your children will be grown up and what they'll become
depends largely on you. For their sake, as well as for your own,
make the most of their childhood.
There are no pearls of wisdom
here, just a refresher course in things that we've all heard a
million times, but don't always stop to take them to heart. They're
so important that they deserve our attention, to periodically
remind us of what really counts in life.
----------------------------------------------------
Barbara Freedman-De Vito, children's
librarian, teacher, professional storyteller, and artist, writes
and illustrates animated children's stories which are available
at http://www.babybirdproductions.com which also has free games
and educational activities for children, teachers and parents.
Clothing and gift items decorated with artwork from the stories
are also available.
MORE ON CHILD CREATIVITY
Make
your child
more creative for life.
Every child has creative
ability just waiting to be tapped. Even infants have budding creative
potential. The right educational toys can bring it out. and let
children enjoy the benefits of creative pursuits at many levels.
Infants,
toddlers,
preschoolers,
early
school age and older
school age children all delight in opportunities for creative
expression through colors, shapes and sounds.
At The Creativity Institute, we handpick each infant educational
toy, every creative plaything, each piece of furniture and every
toy musical instrument based on its potential for developing vital
creative resources in your child.
Toy
pianos, oversized
foam building blocks, puppet
theaters and puppet stages and people
and animal hand puppets, art
supplies and children's
easels, play
tents and more. The scale and durability of many of these
toys make them perfect for classrooms, homeschool,
day care centers and waiting rooms, too. The benefits of nurturing
creativity can be profound, offering children tools for success
in all endeavors athletic, artistic or academic. Let your baby
begin now.