| All children are born with the potential to be creative. | | | | according to the situation and rules of society. There |
| However, their potential can be stifled if we do not | | | | are times and places where creativity may not be |
| take the care to stimulate and nurture that creativity. | | | | important, for example, colouring on the wall with felt |
| Our creativity shows who we are as a unique | | | | pens is obviously not appropriate in most households. |
| individual. Have you heard the saying - "there is no | | | | However, there should be a balance between the |
| such thing as can't." We can and we will! Creativity is | | | | times when children can be creative, explore and |
| an important facet to any personality. It enables to see | | | | experiment. Sometimes choices should be restricted |
| things in a different and unusual way. This is an | | | | and direct instruction given, but at other times, children |
| important problem-solving skill throughout anyone's | | | | should be given the choice to explore and develop |
| lifetime - the ability to think of different alternatives to | | | | their creative abilities. It is important that the child does |
| solve a problem. Or to see problems other may not | | | | not go through life only learning about rules and |
| have noticed and come up with effective solutions to | | | | conformity, not creativity and joy. |
| those problems. | | | | Encouraging Creativity in Children - Drama and |
| What is creativity? | | | | Playacting |
| Activity | | | | Drama and Playacting |
| What do you think creativity is? Write a list or short | | | | Drama and playacting are great ways to encourage |
| paragraph of how you would define creativity. | | | | children to be creative. There are so many ways you |
| What is Creativity? | | | | can do this. |
| Creativity is originality, expressiveness, imaginative, to | | | | Pretending to be Anything |
| give rise to, to produce, to portray, to give character to, | | | | Ask them to pretend to be something - a cat, a dog, a |
| to evolve from one's own thoughts, to bring into being, | | | | giant, a car, a lawnmower, the world, a pencil |
| to conceive, to parent, to throw together, to give rise | | | | sharpener - anything they want to be. Get them to |
| to. | | | | think about what it is like to be a lawnmower or the |
| There are many different aspects to creativity. It is | | | | world or a cat or a dog. This can also be done within |
| basically the ability to produce new and useful ideas | | | | the context of story telling. See the article on Story |
| from everyday objects, and solutions to everyday | | | | telling. |
| problems and challenges. It is a translation of gifts and | | | | Get them to make noises that they imagine the thing |
| visions to produce something new and useful. | | | | they are copying would make. |
| There is no one agreed definition of creativity. | | | | Cut out some pictures and ask each child to pick a |
| Creativity is mainly researched within the field of | | | | picture. They then have to pretend to be what's on the |
| psychology. In this, it is usually claimed that being | | | | picture for two minutes - a cat, a dog, a car - |
| creative means being appropriate and novel. | | | | whatever's on the picture. |
| So what are the personality traits of highly creative | | | | Try and get them to be spontaneous. |
| individuals? | | | | Have an Adventure |
| Personality traits of Highly Creative Individuals | | | | Pretend something exciting is happening. |
| Creative individuals will be able to look at every day | | | | Get your children to shut their eyes, tell them the car |
| and familiar things in a new light. They will be able to | | | | can fly when their eyes are shut and they wish long |
| see things that are out of the ordinary, not obvious. | | | | enough. When they open their eyes and say it's not |
| A highly creative individual will - | | | | flying, you can say - "well, that's because you opened |
| 1. Produce a wide range of ideas or solutions to | | | | your eyes!" Then get them to imagine where you |
| problems and questions. Often, they will be unusual or | | | | could fly to. |
| clever. | | | | You see a man jogging. Ask them why they think he |
| 2. They will show a lot of curiosity about things, | | | | is running. Is he running away from pirates? Is he the |
| constantly asking questions. | | | | world's fastest runner? Is he running around the world? |
| 3. They will have interests in many different, unrelated | | | | Where is he going to? The questions are endless. |
| areas. | | | | Plays |
| 4. They may develop collections of things based on | | | | If you really want to get into this, you could encourage |
| their interests. | | | | children to put on plays. Ask them to make up a story, |
| 5. They may be willing to take risks. | | | | then they can act it out to you. Perhaps put on fancy |
| 6. May show heightened emotional sensitivity, for | | | | dress costumes, use silly voices, make some props. It |
| example, being particularly sensitive to beauty. | | | | doesn't have to be expensive or look fantastic. They |
| 7. Often, they are willing to express their opinions | | | | should be able to use their imagination to do these |
| without inhibition. | | | | things. |
| 8. They will be tenacious and persistent about their | | | | If they don't want to make up a story, perhaps they |
| ideas and projects. | | | | could act out a story they already know. |
| 9. Can often be conceived as non-conformist. | | | | If they really enjoy this, they could perhaps do the play |
| 10. They may appear chaotic or disordered. | | | | for friends or other relatives - grandparents, aunts etc. |
| 11. They may not seem to be interested in detail. | | | | Again, making the props or costumes or inventing the |
| 12. They do not fear being labeled as "different". | | | | story are ways to encourage them to think creatively. |
| 13. May be unwilling to accept authoritarian | | | | The Shy Child |
| pronouncements without detailed explanations ofwhy | | | | You will always find some children who are reluctant |
| the pronouncement is correct. | | | | to get involved in this sort of creative play. Start with |
| 14. Be open to constructive criticism. | | | | small steps. Perhaps they don't want to appear "silly" in |
| 15. They will often have a good sense of humour and | | | | front of their siblings or friends. If they don't to take |
| see humour in situations that may not be obvious to | | | | part, perhaps encourage them to watch you and the |
| others. | | | | other children playing. When they see how much fun it |
| 16. Highly creative individuals will often show intellectual | | | | can be, hopefully they will want to take part. If they |
| play, often daydreaming or imagining. They may come | | | | don't, encourage them to be involved in some other |
| out with new ideas, then are able to modify or improve | | | | way, such as handing out cards, making props, etc. It |
| on their ideas or the ideas of others. | | | | may be that they are not children who want to be |
| Encouraging Creativity in Children - What not to do | | | | involved in drama-type play, but they may be creative |
| Children develop creativity because of what we | | | | in other ways - drawing, colouring, creating props etc. |
| SHOW them, not because of what we tell them to do | | | | Don't stifle their creativity - just encourage it in another |
| or not do. It is amazingly easy to discourage children | | | | direction! |
| from being creative, but why discourage it. It is easy to | | | | Encouraging Creativity in Children - Junk Modelling |
| steal experiences from children, experiences in their | | | | Junk Modelling - get your household junk (well, the |
| culture, education and upbringing, because we do not | | | | clean kind anyway), boxes, toilet roll tubes, kitchen roll |
| encourage their creativity. Hennessy and Amabile | | | | tubes, cereal boxes, paper anything you can find. Give |
| (1992, Goleman, Kaufman and Ray, 1992 - The | | | | the kids some glue, some pens, some scissors (if |
| Creative Spirit) identified some common "creative | | | | they're old enough or help them if not) and let them |
| killers" that are commonplace in our schools and | | | | loose. See what they come up with. A hotel? A house |
| homes. | | | | for their dolls? A cave? A car? An animal? Whatever |
| Evaluation - Constantly looking at what children are | | | | is in their mind, they can create. If they sit their looking |
| doing, evaluating them, commenting on what they are | | | | blankly, encourage them to "see" things differently. Pick |
| doing, worrying about what they are doing can make | | | | up the cereal box and say, "doesn't this look just like a |
| them worry and not realize the value of what they are | | | | house" "or a car" "or a spaceship?" |
| doing. Also, it can make them lose the enjoyment in | | | | Doesn't this toilet roll tube look like a rocket or a snake |
| the actual process of creating some thing. | | | | or a telescope? |
| Surveillance - You know how you feel when someone | | | | Give them the ideas and let them run with them. |
| is standing over you watching what you are doing? | | | | Encouraging Creativity in Children - Telling Stories |
| You probably hate it, or start to make mistakes or get | | | | Stories - Stories are a brilliant way of encouraging |
| flustered. This surveillance or constantly watching | | | | creativity in children. You can do this in so many ways. |
| children can have the same effect on children. It can | | | | Adults |
| make them feel as though they are under constant | | | | You tell the story - tell a story without a book. If you're |
| observation. It may make them resist the opportunity | | | | not a natural story teller, perhaps you could read a |
| to take risks in their creativity or hide their creative | | | | child's book first and then perhaps change the names |
| abilities. | | | | and make it slightly different. Then sit down with the |
| Rewards - Offering rewards and motivations for their | | | | child and tell them the story without a book. Make |
| creativity can reduce the need for the child to create | | | | faces, do silly voices, encourage them to do the |
| things for creativity's sake - for the enjoyment of | | | | actions. You might feel silly at first, but the more you |
| creating something. | | | | do it, the more you'll find your own inner creativity!! And |
| Competition - Creativity does not have to be about | | | | besides it's fun to be silly sometimes!! |
| competition. We all have creative skills in different | | | | If you're feeling brave, you might like to make up your |
| ways. If we encourage children to compete against | | | | own stories. Kids love stories involving themselves. |
| each other, to create the best picture etc, it can | | | | Make the characters have their names. If you've got |
| reduce their creativity. There will always be one picture | | | | lots of children to tell the story to, this might not be a |
| that is better than the others, there will always be one | | | | good idea, as some children might feel left out. But if |
| bit of junk modeling that is better than the others. | | | | you've got one, two, three or four kids with you, I'm |
| Anything created by a child should be praised for its | | | | sure you can think of different characters with their |
| own value and worth, not compared to the models or | | | | names. Don't be worried about giving their names to |
| pictures of other children. | | | | animals or aliens or cars or whatever. Children will |
| Restricting Choice - If we TELL children what activities | | | | usually think that is really funny. Bear in mind the child |
| to engage in, it can reduce their curiosity and passion | | | | though, if you don't think they'll find it funny to be a pig |
| to create. They should be allowed to explore and | | | | or an alien, then think of something else. |
| experiment with their own creativity and method of | | | | Adults and Children |
| production. | | | | Tell a story together. You can start this in a simple |
| Over-Control - If we keep telling children how to do | | | | way. You can all say a sentence, so you might start. |
| things, how we think they should do things, this can | | | | "One day, it was very dark and Bill was in bed when |
| reduce the creativity and originality of the child. It can | | | | he heard a loud noise." |
| leave the child feeling that what they are doing is not | | | | Then one of the children says a sentence - |
| good enough, a mistake or it is a waste of time trying | | | | "Bill was scared, he didn't know what it was." |
| something new. | | | | Then another - |
| Putting Pressure on Children - By putting pressure on | | | | "He thought it might be his pet alien, Nigel". Etc etc |
| children, it can actually give them an aversion to | | | | Let them be as silly as possible - being silly can lead to |
| creativity. If we expect amazing results every time a | | | | great imaginative stories. Then you can go on and on. |
| child creates something, this can put unnecessary | | | | Other adults can also be involved. |
| pressure onto them. This can again restrict their ability | | | | When doing this, be wary of it going on for too long |
| to perform or to experiment. Also, if our expectations | | | | and becoming boring. |
| are too great, it may be because they are beyond the | | | | If it seems to be going nowhere, start another story. |
| child's developmental level. | | | | If the children don't seem interested, get them to start |
| So how can we encourage children to be creative? | | | | the story instead of you. They might pick something |
| 1. Encourage children to keep trying - they may be the | | | | that is more interesting to them then. |
| most creative child in the world, but if they do not keep | | | | Children |
| trying and do not see any task through to completion, | | | | Ask the child to tell you a story. Ask them to make |
| we will not know how creative they are and can be. | | | | one up. You may find that at the beginning the stories |
| 2. Show appreciation for their efforts - praise them! | | | | are a bit short or a bit repetitious, but the more you |
| 3. Try not to help them too much. Resist the | | | | encourage the child, the better a storyteller they will |
| temptation to take over or to finish the task for them. | | | | become. |
| 4. Try not to supervise too much. Allow them to be | | | | If they struggle with this, get a picture book (without |
| spontaneous. Having self-confidence is essential to the | | | | words if possible) and ask them to make up a story |
| development of their creativity. | | | | around the pictures. Or show they pictures from any |
| 5. Provide a creative atmosphere. Allow the child easy | | | | book, such as a book about fish, or animals or houses |
| access to creative equipment, such as clay, drawing | | | | and ask them to use those to make up the story. |
| books, pens, paper. Provide them with toys that | | | | If you're feeling really creative, get the children to cut |
| encourage creativity. If you're worried that they may | | | | out lots of pictures from magazines or draw lots of |
| start drawing on the wall, ensure that they understand | | | | pictures. Put the pictures on cards. Then sit in a circle. |
| there are only certain areas they can do their "messy" | | | | Each child (and adults) picks up a card and has to |
| play, such as the kitchen, or conservatory. Tell them | | | | carry on the story from there. |
| often enough and this will sink in. | | | | If the children seem to find story telling really difficult, go |
| 6. Daydreaming - daydreaming is an important process. | | | | back to basics. Show them a picture and ask them to |
| It enables the child to imagine things and different | | | | imagine something. For example, show them a picture |
| outcomes. Some aspects of day dreaming are | | | | of an old man. Ask them how old they think he is, |
| important for developing problem solving skills. BUT | | | | what they think his name is, is he friendly, is he grumpy, |
| don't let the child day dream TOO much. If you feel the | | | | is he happy etc. Do this often and it will encourage |
| child is sitting day dreaming too much, ask them to fill | | | | them to think more about things they see around them. |
| you in on their daydreams, perhaps they can lead to | | | | Do the same with animals. Ask them to give a name |
| fun activities. For example, they tell you part of the day | | | | to the animal, a personality, what do they like to eat - |
| dream, then you fill it in a bit more, then they add a bit | | | | again encourage them to make up silly things, as well |
| more and so on. It can then become a game. | | | | as "real" things the animal may eat. |
| 7. Let the child be "different". Let the child know that | | | | Books |
| there is no "right" answer to a problem, they should be | | | | Above all, books are still a VERY important part of the |
| encouraged to be unique and innovative. If it doesn't | | | | creativity process. Read to your child, do it whenever |
| work this time, hey, who knows it might work out with | | | | you can. Don't just leave it until bedtime. Reading can |
| another problem. | | | | be a great part of a bedtime routine, but it shouldn't be |
| 8. Encourage problem solving and planning in many | | | | the only time. Some parents may find that their child is |
| different areas of their lives. When they solve a | | | | really tired at bedtime and doesn't want a story then, |
| problem (or don't solve it), encourage them to look at | | | | so why not read during the day. Sit down with your |
| why and how they solved it, so they can use the skills | | | | child anytime you can and read them a story. |
| in other areas. | | | | If you struggle to find the time for whatever reason, |
| 9. If the child doesn't want help, don't pressurize them, | | | | ask another adult to read to them. If you have an older |
| but if they ask, offer them the support they want. | | | | child, ask them to read to the younger children - this will |
| Children, like adults, need rules to live their lives by. | | | | improve their reading skills as well. |
| Children need to learn to control their behaviour | | | | Above all, remember story telling should be FUN! |