Ways to Encourage Creativity in Children

Creativity is the freest form of self-expression. There is nothing more satisfying and fulfilling for children than to be able to express themselves openly and without judgment. It helps children become more confident, develop their social skills, and learn better.

Any creative activity is the process of self-expression. Being creative can help children express and cope with their feelings. A child's creative activity can help teachers to learn more about what the child may be thinking or feeling. Creative activities help identify children's uniqueness and diversity as well as offer excellent opportunities to personalize teaching and focus on each child.

A child’s creativity can be further enhanced in the following ways:

1. Variety of Experience
   A teacher must look for ways to provide multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and other community experiences for children. Activities such as field trips, celebrating holidays and activities with other ethnic groups, and encouraging children to bring visitors to school enhances the creative process. The more varied experiences children have in their lives, the wider the range of creative expression.


2. Nurturing the Creative Process
   It is important to encourage children to make their own choice. What children learn and discover about themselves is vital to their development. We must show our support for the creative process by appreciating and offering support for their efforts.


3. Encourage curiosity
   One must consider what is important to children. Their interest is a great place to start on what drives their own thinking tank. Children find inspiration from their environment. Creativity is intrinsic in nature. One must try to promote creativity by stepping into their viewpoint to find what motivates them.


4. Creative Play
   One of the most important types of creative activity for young children is creative play. Creative play is expressed when children use familiar materials in a new or unusual way. One of the strongest benefits of play is the way it enhances social development. Dramatic play helps children experiment with and understand social roles. It can also give them countless opportunities for acquiring social skills as they play with others. Through dramatic play, children gradually learn to take each other's needs into account, and appreciate different values and perspectives.


5. Tapping into multiple intelligences.
   Creativity requires children to use different parts of their brain. They often bridge connections between seemingly unrelated areas to make new concepts emerge. One must allow students to use their strengths to find new ways of approaching a topic or solving a problem. You might be surprised with what they come up with. Try to remain open to new and original ideas, and encourage children to come up with more than one solution or answer. Providing children with a good range and right balance of equipment aids in bringing out the best of their abilities.

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