Children’s creativity is a skill that will prepare them for maturity. If a child is to succeed in this world, it is now more than ever vital for him or her to develop a creative brain. (Creative Preschool)
To encourage creativity in toddlers, follow these basic guidelines.
Jobs and vocations are evolving, and as we get closer to technology replacing people, it may become important to stand out from the crowd in order to find any kind of employment. This emphasises the importance of creativity in childhood.
So, when is the optimum time to pick up this crucial skill?
The preschool years are when children learn the most. Learning is simple and lasts for a lifetime. What a child learns during these years will shape their entire academic career and adult life.
Art isn’t the only form of creativity. It also pertains to how a youngster thinks, solves problems, generates ideas, explores, and creates possibilities.
1. Share a book with your child.
Reading is always on the top of my priority list because it is one of the most valuable things you can give your children. There are numerous advantages of reading to your children.
It will help them improve their language skills, vocabulary, problem-solving abilities, inventiveness, emotional intelligence, and a whole lot more.
Reading allows you to ask your children questions and help them improve their critical thinking skills. Make up a tale and have your child predict the ending, or have your child “read” the story to you from the photos.
Reading effectively places the entire world and all of its stories in the hands of your child. That’s a solid foundation for developing creativity!
2. Schedule time for creative expression
When it comes to inspiring creativity, art is a terrific place to start. Every child is drawn to making their own artwork.
There are numerous materials from which to pick. Keep the activities varied, and set aside time each day for art that focuses on the process.
Here are some activities to consider:
-Wax crayons, pencils, pens, chalk, and other drawing materials
-Finger painting, bubble painting, painting with brushes and sponges, and other types of painting
-Cutting, tearing, pasting, and collage are some of the techniques used.
Allowing the art to be free is the only condition while working on true originality. Store-bought activities and art kits might be entertaining on rare occasions, but they should not be the norm. Coloring books aren’t really inventive.
Typically, your youngster should begin with a blank canvas and a head full of ideas.
3. Encourage building.
One of my favourite hobbies is construction, which I always made time for in my classroom.
There are two categories in particular that I would suggest:
- Building a box
- In the living room, construct with blocks, toys, and pillows, for example.
- Making items out of scrap materials and glue/tape is called box construction. I’ve witnessed some of the most spectacular constructions being constructed by very small individuals.
It’s astonishing what they’ll come up with when they have to figure out how to keep the plane’s wing attached or how to construct a ramp for the automobile to go down.
Again, the store-bought build-a-something kit is cool, but your kids aren’t nearly as invested and imaginative when they create something from the ground up.
Have you ever seen youngsters construct a fort or a tent out of blankets and chairs (like you undoubtedly did as a kid)? Is it the same kind of learning as the ready-made tent?
Building with lego, blocks, or other construction toys will keep your child entertained for hours while also requiring a lot of creative thinking.
4. Limit your screen time
Watching television involves no creativity, no thinking, and no involvement — simply idly staring at visuals that flash at such a fast rate that your brain can’t keep up.
Too much screen time has been shown to have a harmful impact on children’s thinking and language abilities [source].
Obviously, it is unrealistic to eliminate this activity totally, but keep track of how much is being viewed and mix in an instructive show (such as an animal documentary that needs listening – not a cartoon!) on occasion.
Reading, art, playing, conversing, and cooking are all activities that encourage more creative thought than watching television.
5. Allow children to organise playdates
Do you have a list of fun things to do with your child and their pal during their playdates?
Why? Do you remember your parents planning every game you played as a kid? Do you think they’ll be bored if you don’t take them out and find them something to do?
If they become too quiet, the best thing you can do is disappear and check in on them!
They’ll be constructing stuff, inventing games, fighting, resolving fights, making up rules, negotiating those rules, and much more. They’ll be gaining knowledge. Allow your children to schedule their own playdates!
6. Don’t Fix All of Their Issues
Is your youngster stuck in a situation at school or with a friend? Accomplish they forget what they were supposed to do for homework?
Think about it before calling the teacher. What are you going to accomplish by calling unless your child is being bullied?
You may be able to solve the problem quickly, but your youngster will have gained no skills. They haven’t come up with a creative solution to the problem.
You’re essentially establishing yourself as the go-to solution for any issue. This will not assist them when they become adults.
They must have freedom in order to think for themselves and come up with solutions on a regular basis.
7. Allow children to resolve conflicts on their own.
Who better to practise conflict resolution with than close friends or siblings?
You want your kids to be able to stand up to their peers, be aggressive (but not overly so), and learn to manage conflict in a healthy way.
Allow your children to acquire these skills together and resolve problems in the safety of their own home if you have more than one.
At times, intervention will be necessary, but for the most part, let them fight it out and utilise their solutions to explore how they handle challenges.
If your child is an only child, they will have plenty of opportunities to practise these skills with their parents, relatives, and friends. Be encouraging, but don’t take away their ability to handle on their own.
8. Encourage unstructured play.
Play is a serious undertaking. It is the method through which children learn everything, especially creativity.
Your young children are missing out if they do not spend time playing every day.
They don’t need to have a huge list of extra classes and activities waiting for them at home simply because they had fun at school. They also require hours of unstructured play at home, both inside and outside, to discover and learn.
These are just a few activities that can help preschoolers become more creative.
Learn more: Creative Preschool
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