When we say creativity, we usually mean an innovative way of doing something. When it comes to kids, creativity is mostly shown through play. But why is creativity important?
It’s important because kids learn to be more independent and confident, solve problems in new ways, improve their motor and mental skills, and, most importantly, have fun!
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Why is Creativity Important?
The importance of creative expression is hardly countable. It has so many advantages and here is the most important of them.
1. Encourage self-confidence
Having something that kids make on their own will increase their self-confidence. A kids’ satisfaction of seeing someone react positively to what they have made makes them feel proud and gives them a sense of accomplishment. Taking the time to frame and hang kids’ work in a prominent place will show their work is valuable and appreciated.
2. Impact on kids’ problem-solving abilities
By expressing themselves creatively, young kids can explore new ideas, develop their imaginations, and learn how to solve problems. They enable kids to explore thought processes, actions, and materials and develop problem-solving, communication, and negotiation skills, which are all essential life skills.
For instance: kids that color, draw and paint often get spontaneous ideas. Also, when kids do unstructured, free play, they let their imagination run wild. Through the process, they learn how to make choices and come up with the rules, combinations, and solutions for problems.
Set the environment in the home where kids can express their own ideas and interests, let them negotiate, get into conflicts, and come up with their solutions. This approach promotes self-expression and endless creativity by encouraging self-guided learning based on kids’ interests.
3. Strengthens fine motor skills
Kids can improve their motor skills just by playing, whether outside playing healthy activities and improving their play or arranging their Leggos. Doing different crafts can also help in improving their motor skill. Cutting, drawing, gluing, molding etc., are fine motor skills that kids develop from an early age. The skills are also useful in everyday life, like writing, cutting food with a knife and fork, tying shoelaces, etc.
4. Encourages kids’ mental growth
Young kids can express their emotions and feelings through creative processes instead of verbal communication. Many psychologists can tell kids’ feelings or difficulties by looking at their drawings or behavior in play. The process can help kids develop self-confidence and improve their communication skills and a sense of identity while aiding them in coping with their feelings.
5. Improves concentration
Through creative play, kids can focus on their work. Surrounded by a calm and peaceful environment, they can concentrate on their task. The more frequently they work in this manner, the longer they will be able to focus.
6. Promotes fun and diverse play
The importance of play is unmeasurable, but the best thing is that it is fun and pleasurable for kids. Experimenting and making mistakes is the basic part of the play and, thus, life. That is how kids learn and discover the environment around them.
What is Creativity in Early Childhood?
It is a simple act of doing something differently even though it might not look “right” from an adult’s perspective. For example, wearing clothes upside down, eating with hands, playing with utensils, etc.
Even though you might not think this is a “creative” way of doing things, it is a start of letting kids be free and choose options different than given. It is a way of breaking tight boundaries that are usually adults formed. It represents the freest form of self-expression; it is very present in their first years of life.
How to encourage Creativity in a Child?
Start with supporting your kids’ creative process rather than imposing ideas. This recognizes the crucial role parents and other adults can play in kids’ early years by following their lead as they wonder and explore.
The kid can take the initiative and control their play and discoveries when there are positive relationships. Youngsters who are free to choose and make their own decisions will become more creative. It can be challenging to refrain from offering a word of counsel or caution, but kids must be allowed to experiment and make mistakes.
However, both structured and free play has their benefits. The aim is to make the right balance that may require close observation, introspection, and frequent interaction adjustment in response to your kids’ replies.
How to Encourage Kids’ Creativity: Practical Examples
Unplanned time with fewer plans
Unplanned time can inspire greater creativity whole fewer plans meaning more time for spontaneous activities. Going out and exploring the world with kids can result in creative moments, and ordinary objects can inspire thoughts and produce unexpectedly creative results.
More reading and talking
Talking, reading books together, and sharing each other’s stories often spark kids’ imagination. Also, interesting stories often include imaginative play and costume involvement, which makes storytime much more interesting.
For instance, our family often talks about pirates because kids love them. We crafted our own costumes from our clothes and made a pirate eyepatch with a hat. Also, we started building together the pirate ship with blankets, pillows, and pieces of clothes and even made a pirate flag. Let your kids’ imagination do the job while you support them in each step.
Imaginative play
Kids are actively engaged through imaginary play. Following the kids’ interests and experiences is frequently self-driven and self-directed, which is a big plus for the creative process. Participating in the game is a lot of fun by playing a part and providing props.
For instance, if kids are interested in animals, you might recommend they play vets and collect toy animals. Despite how tempting it may be to take charge, it’s crucial to let your kids manage the play and decide how the game will develop!
Outdoor play
Nature is the greatest inspiration for kids’ artistic discoveries and creative ideas. It is a dynamic landscape with loads to discover, including playing with shadows, making things out of natural materials, and experimenting with sand, water, and mud. Additionally, it’s a fantastic opportunity to unwind, appreciate and interact with nature and the environment.
Exploring the world is a great method to encourage creative play and enhance problem-solving skills.
For instance, your kid can use natural resources to explore, collect pebbles, do creative crafts, or even build habitats for garden critters using items they find. They can also collect different items from nature like branches, leaves, rocks, and even other objects like buttons, colorful napkins, etc.
Mark-making tools
Give your kid various mark-making tools like different watercolors, crayons, markers, and brushes for painting and toothbrushes, all kinds of sponges, dotters, and texture tools and use them on various surfaces. The sensory and physical aspects of producing marks are frequently appealing. Making marks is enjoyable and provides a variety of options.
For instance, kids can use their fingers, hands, and toes to create swirls in the sand or soil, among many other things.
Creating things this way gives kids the chance to express their thoughts and ideas in an unrestricted manner. This can help parents to easier comprehend and interact with what they are thinking.
The experiment in your environment
Shaking up and changing your home or garden environment is a great way to spark curiosity.
For instance, you can move some furniture from its usual position to create a tunnel behind an armchair or sofa or build a den with a clothe. Similarly, hang some sheets in the garden and watch how they move in the wind. It’s great for kids to explore the possibility of using something novel, unusual or different.
Malleable materials
A malleable material is one that kids can manipulate, like play dough. They can pull, stretch, roll, squeeze, and everything their minds come to. You can make your own clay or slime and add things like glitter, bells, straws, lids, feathers, etc.
Along with the malleable materials, kids can use simple tools around the house like utensils, pastry rollers, garlic presses and so on to develop their coordination and agility.
In Conclusion
Supporting kids’ way of thinking, learning, and doing things differently is the key to a diverse child. The question of why creativity is important is long answered, but the real question is how to support kids to develop their imagination.
Give them all the time, space, and equipment they need as long as their safety is not endangered. Let them think, express their thoughts, feeling, and emotions, and let them be responsible and worthy. Kids should have more free time rather than structured play to explore the environment, be imaginative, and their creativeness will arise.
