Jj is for Jottings 160. Creativity in Children, Part 2.
Following on from Part 1, we will now go into more activities in greater detail in Creativity in Children, Part 2. In order for creativity to flourish, it is important for us to slow down and create the time and headspace to allow room for creativity. Don’t fall into the trap of having your child’s time completely filled with planned activities. There needs to be unplanned time when you can seize the moment, rather than bustling along to the next activity. Simply getting out and about can lead to all sorts of observations and spark creative thoughts and ideas. And leave those screens at home.
From his toddlerhood, I would often find one of my sons just lying quietly awake in bed of a morning. I used to wonder what was going on in his head, but always left him to it. As an adult, he says this is the time when he gets his best ideas. Obviously what I was seeing was the child’s version.
Expensive Toys.
I suspect that sometimes parents get hooked into the idea that buying expensive educational toys for their children is the way to go. There’s probably a bit of peer pressure involved, too. Remember that old saying about very young children spending more time playing with the wrapping paper than the present within? It’s often true. The world is all new to them, so there’s usually plenty around the home to keep young children learning creatively. The saucepan cupboard is traditionally a favourite place to begin. Perhaps in the early years of your child’s life you could put money in their bank account and give a less expensive present.
I’m not saying educational toys aren’t a good thing, but I’d be inclined to reserve them for a little later.
MORE DETAILED WAYS TO ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY IN CHILDREN.
- Outdoor Nature Play.
There is so much to explore in nature, and it changes all the time, so it really is a gift that keeps giving. With your children you can explore and experiment with water, sand and mud. You can play with shadows, create pictures with all the bits and bobs you pick up – sticks, stones, leaves, bark, bits of moss, feathers, that broken half of shell from a bird’s egg. The list is endless. You can create outside with these things, or take them inside to create in a different way. At any age it’s a great way to relax and just notice and connect with nature. There are clouds, birds, insects, flowers, new shoots and leaves – another endless list.
Older children could draw, collect things, take photographs. And one thing can lead to another and inspire further explorations. You could create habitats for creatures seen in the garden with things they have found, such as shelter for skinks and lizards. Some people have found their life’s work and passion from such childhood activities.
Exploring the natural world is a wonderful way to promote problem-solving and imaginative play. It also helps children create a connection with and respect for nature. And hopefully this will lead them to make sustainable choices throughout their lives.
In addition to the creativity angle, there are also the effects of green spaces on children’s mental health to consider. So there’s another reason to be out in nature.
- Searching For And Collecting Objects.
This can be either an indoor or an outdoor activity. Encourage your child to go and collect whatever appeals to them. Outside it could be the sorts of objects mentioned in the section above. Inside it could be buttons, fabrics, lids, containers and so on. There is no set way of playing with these collections of objects. The possibilities are open-ended, and the child decides what to do with them.
Creativity in Children Part 2. A small selection of items which can be used to spark many creative endeavours.
- Making Marks.
What you might think of as the end result of making marks is writing and drawing, painting etc. But making marks can begin in babyhood. Different surfaces, different tools for making marks, and different mark sizes all create variations.
Surfaces.
The baby on solid food can make marks with their fingers in the food, if you’re OK with food play. Making marks in a sand pit or at the beach is popular from a young age. Mark-making can involve any medium or surface you can think of, from play dough to paper to glass. When we were children, my brother and I used to like breathing on the car window and drawing in the mist from our breath. Dad was not impressed because you could still see the drawings faintly after the mist had evaporated.
Outside mark-making could involve sand, dirt, mud, gravel. Children enjoy the sensory aspects of making marks – think finger-painting and squishy mud.
Tools.
The tools children can use to make marks can vary from their own fingers, to sticks and stones, to the more conventional pencils, paint brushes, and all the other writing and drawing implements we have these days.
Size.
Children can make marks ranging from tiny to the huge, whole-body involvement of writing in the sand, dirt or gravel with a stick.
Drawing.
As children get older, drawing is a form of mark-making through which they also express their thoughts, feelings and ideas. This can help give you valuable information about how they are thinking and feeling.
- Malleable Materials.
These are materials which children can shape for themselves by pulling, rolling, squeezing, stretching, pinching, poking, pushing. (That sounds like a list of all the things you don’t want your child to do to another child! Or vice versa.) Play dough and clay immediately spring to mind here. You can add use play dough with other items such as stones, twigs, straws, feathers. You can use tools with play dough such as rolling pins, spoons, blunt knives, garlic crushers and cookie cutters. Using these tools with play dough also helps develop muscle strength and coordination.
- Imaginative Play.
Pretend play is a creative activity. Children often engage in this by themselves. You can offer props, and even take a role in the activity, but the child should lead the operation. If a child has a particular interest such as playing at being a teacher, you might suggest collecting related items and you can be the pupil. (They love this role reversal because it puts them in a position of power for a change.)
Providing a range of “neutral” items such as boxes, old fabric, old clothes etc can really get their creative juices flowing. You always seem to need a lot of “stuff” around for good parenting!
- Changing The Environment.
Moving around furniture in the home or garden will stimulate interest and curiosity. This may spark children into making tunnels or cubbies – inside or outside. A sheet or blanket draped over a piece of furniture can set off a whole story. A clothes basket (a sturdy one), brought into the living room could become a boat or, turned upside down, something to hide under. And if there’s something to hide under, that may lead to a story about what the child is hiding from. One thing leads to another.
- Sharing Stories.
Sharing stories with children, both with books and oral storytelling often sets off the imagination. The child might want to dress up as their favourite character. I don’t mean going out and buying a costume, which isn’t creative, but improvising with what you have at home. You might also build props and act out favourite stories.
There are so many ways to encourage creativity in your children. Sometimes it’s good to be reminded of them to help you be creative in finding ways to encourage creativity in children!
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