Creative kids: 5 ways to spark
their imaginations
By Diane Peters (www.kaboose.com/features/healthykids/creative_music.html) |
Do
you want to raise a creative child? One who can come up with amazing ideas,
amuse himself, solve problems and enjoy the magical side of childhood? Thought
so. Problem is, today it seems like every toy and every children’s program
focuses on education, not creativity.
But
you can still foster the creative spark. Start by tweaking your attitude: while
rules and statements such as, "No, no, the sky should be blue," can halt
creative thinking, being open and non-judgmental encourages it.
And
don’t be concerned that focusing on creativity will leave education behind. In
fact, creative children are often better learners. "Creativity lets children
develop their skills in a way that works for them," says Karen Halpern, a
speech pathologist and creator of Thumbprint Adventures, a creative play-based
program in Toronto. Her own six-year-old, for instance, can do basic
multiplication: she figured it out on her own through playing.
Whether
your goal is to raise the next Einstein, or just have a youngster who can
tolerate long rainy days, here are five ways to light the creative fire under
your child.
1.
Free Play
For
ages 3-5
Unexpected toys.
Grab a pile of household thing — spoons, cotton balls, toilet paper rolls — and
toss them in the middle of the floor. For even more novelty, mix this grab bag
with toys that are normally kept in a different room.
Obstacle course.
In the yard or at the park, set up an example obstacle course to start. (Maybe
swings once on the swing, take five hops, run in a circle, and then make a
little sculpture out of nearby leaves.) Then let your child set up his own
course that you and others must follow.
For
ages 6-9
Act it out.
Suggest your child and siblings or friends perform a play or TV show. Give them
paper to make tickets, set a time you’ll able available to watch, then let them
get to rehearsal. (And don’t set up a stage: they’ll figure that out
themselves.)
For
ages 9-11
Create a game. Pull out all the family games and suggest you child create his own, either using all original materials, or pulling ideas and props from existing games. Suggest he write out the rules and agree to play when he’s done.
2.
Music
For ages 3-9
Expose
them. World music is structured differently from western music, so playing it
for your children opens their minds to music’s endless possibilities.
Get
into it. When you’re listening to world music, encourage your child to move to
the music. Certain pieces are actually inspired by animals, so suggest your
child move or make sounds like the animals they hear. (Remember, there’s no
right or wrong way to move or sound like a lion, and what sounds like an
elephant to you might be a duck to her.)
For ages 9-11
Invent
your own. Set up your children to fashion a guitar from a shoebox or tissue
box. Cut an oval hole in the middle of the shoebox lid or the top of the tissue
box. Pull a few different thickness of rubber bands across the box and put a
pencil under the bands on one side. Decorate it if you like, or just play it.
3.
Storytelling
For ages 3-6
Listen and
learn. Start by telling your preschooler stories. Anything that comes to mind:
a personal story inspired by a book or a tale of your own childhood.
Little tales. As
you’re reading books, suggest to your child that she tell you what the turtle
did the next day, or what she thinks happens after the books ends.
For ages 6-9
Imagine a story.
Give your child a character, object and place and have them create a story. You
can also get your child to write their story down or make illustrations
afterwards.
For ages 9-11
Play with stories. Your child’s bound to have a favorite book or two, so have them take that story off the page. Have them create a costume for their favorite character, host a theme party or just have a dinner with food inspired by the book.
4.
Cooking
For ages 3-6
Chick
pea and tomato with pasta soup
Broiled
mozzarella and tomato bruschetta
For ages 6-9
For ages 9-11
Quick
one-pot macaroni and cheese
5.
Drawing, coloring and crafts
For ages 3-6
Trap
a leprechaun
For ages 6-9
Grocery
sack ghost
For ages 9-11
Crayon
t-shirt
|