Lets Get Creative
Creativity is an important human characteristic. Young children’s development involves them in fascinating explorations of sound, materials, colours and textures using all their senses. For children there is nothing more satisfying than being able to express themselves openly, but also their desire to explore which starts at a very young age. As a parent you are your child’s first educator, you see your child in many different contexts.
As a setting, it is important that our nursery practitioners, whilst carrying out activities and being creative with children, promote the importance of creativity at home. We offer support to families who are shy to try new approaches to learning. Within the revised Early Years Foundation Stage it is the area of learning called Expressive Arts and Design that encompasses all things creative.
Creative play is such an important part of every child’s development. Creativity is the most free form of self-expression for young children. It is important to remember that the experiences children have during their first years of life can significantly enhance the development of their creativity. Young children’s ability to be creative starts from them creating something from their personal feelings and experiences, by using their imagination.
Encouraging creativity in your child does not need to be expensive. However, it is important that they have some basic equipment available to use when the creative bug bites. Things like crayons, paints, scissors, glue and coloured paper should be basics in your child’s creative box.
Creativity starts from the child’s interests and ideas; they should be offered a wide range of creative resources and experiences. Creativity also supports their mental growth by offering opportunities to explore new ways of thinking and problem-solving, offering wonderful opportunities for parents and children to practice interacting and connect in really positive ways.
Creativity process involves a number of components, such as imagination, problem solving (application of knowledge and imagination to be a given situation), originality (the ability to come up with ideas and products that are new and usual), the ability to produce an outcome of value and worth and productivity (their ability to generate a variety of different ideas through divergent thinking).
Being creative allows children’s fine and gross motor skills to be developed through a variety of resources, dancing, music, role-play, imagination play, painting, and messy activities. By exploring with flour, damp sand, corn flour, paint, children can begin to mark make with their finger/s. In time this will help them to develop their writing skills. Being creative enables children to make connections between one area of learning and another, supporting their understanding. Dancing using ribbons allows the children to be creative, using their body to co-ordinate movements.
Playing with jelly play can encourage children's imagination; you can incorporate kitchen toys i.e. cups, plates, and spoons. You can ask leading questions which will extend the children’s language skills. When asking open-ended questions, encourage the children to ask their own, allowing them time to put their thoughts into words. By using descriptive questions the children will have to think (cognitive) about what they are seeing and doing. Children will also consider textures, encouraging young children to use their five senses (touch, smell, see, hear and taste). ‘Creativity’ becomes ever easier to identify as your child gets older, so let’s get creative.
