Creativity has always
been a debatable topic in any blog. But this write-up is different as I have
discussed about different ways through which children can foster creativity at
a very young age.
I have always given prime
importance to creativity in
my blogs. The reason for that is quite simple. Children are fearless in their
initial years and hence they always are the first ones to try something
different. But after couple of years as the child grows up the creativity in them decreases.
Hence, the objective of this blog is to bring about different ways through
which creativity in children can be fostered at a very young age which cannot
be lost even after their teen years. According to an article titled “THE
7 BIGGEST CREATIVITY KILLERS” by GAIA AND ANDREW GRANT, a research was
conducted and after analyzing lacs of IQ scores of children and adults it was
found that although creativity scores kept on increasing till 1990, there has
been a significant drop in the numbers since that period. It was also found
that in a sample of about 1500 children aged 3-5, 98 percent ranked as “geniuses”
in divergent thinking. While the percent fell to just 32 percent for children
aged 8-10 years and by the age 13-15 years it declined further to a 10 percent.
These figures are real and you can read about this interesting observation by
clicking on the title of the article mentioned above.
Now let us get back and try to
understand why does our creativity fall to such an enormous after our initial
childhood days? The question is quite difficult to answer. But the one thing
that I have observed in children is that they are quite inquisitive in learning
new things and never feel bored in trying different things. But when we reach
adulthood we are bound by the pressures of the society. We kill our creativity by doing the routing
chore activities and thereby avoiding our inner voice which tells us to do
something different. There is a child inside all of us which wants to try
different and unique things but has been succumbed because of the external
pressures of the society. Hence; the need of the hour is to encourage children
in such a manner that they do not leave this creativity and curiosity. They
should be encouraged to try different things in creative manner. Therefore, it
is very important to foster creativity in children at a tender age of 5-12
years. In this blog I will try to cover up different ways through which you can
encourage children to be creative and produce wonderful ideas indefinitely.
So let me start off by explaining
each and every point in complete detail; so that children can find the freedom
of expression in developing new ideas and concepts through creative means:
- Assign a place for creating: This is the most important thing for a child. When you give him the space to think about things with their belongings they are at their best. They can then think creatively and come up with astonishing ideas which have never been thought of. The key is to observe the child when they are alone and see how they are using the different tools that are available in the room to creative purposes. This will help us learn more about how creatively the child is thinking and can be used as a benchmark for future creative ideas.
- Expose them to imaging places and things that they will only dream of: When you take the child to a zoo and see a lion or tiger tell them to visualize about being in an African Safari. Ask them what kind of animals will they encounter over there? What would the Safari look like? How would the smell of animals be like? What noises would the animals make? This way you can develop creativity in children. You can even ask them to imagine being Popeye and Bluto, the bad guy takes away Olive to a jungle where there are different types of animals. Now ask them if they are Popeye; how will they save Olive from the animals and Bluto simultaneously? The answers that they give will instill creativity and will encourage them to think differently in a lighter vain as children love cartoons.
- Give free time to children: Leave the child with some free time. You know creativity comes during times when your mind is completely free. This way they can play with their toys and do things in an unstructured way. This way they will do something different which was never thought of which will instill creativity in them.
- Ask questions which instill creativity in children: When you are alone with the child ask them to come up with creative solutions to puzzles or ask them to mention their most creative moments. This way they will give creative ideas which are different and are never tried before.
- Arouse critical thinking in children: When the child gets older ask them how they would have solved a particular problem if they were about 2 years younger? Ask them to give reasons as to why they would approach the problem differently now as opposed to two years ago. This way you can brainstorm the child and get new thoughts from their creative minds which can give fresh outlook on the scenario.
I would like to end this blog by
mentioning a quote from “William Blake”
“What is now proved was once only imagined.”
Hence, always encourage children to imagine and visualize the
world in an entirely different way. This way they will instill creativity in
their lives and will cultivate these habits since a very young age. If you have
any questions or comments on this subject; feel free to follow us at: http://www.facebook.com/PracTutor,
http://hardik.practutor.com
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