Children are curious by nature.
They are born eager to learn. Their inner desire to explore as they try to comprehend their environment is what makes them creative and everything is wonderful.
Unlike adults, toddlers and infants are not bound by the rules of the norms of society, every experience is different. Giving them more opportunities will help develop their creativity and curiosity.
Curiosity has been linked with psychological, emotional, social, and even health benefits, for both children and adults. Furthermore, by allowing children to contemplate different resolutions, thus boosting children’s confidence, using their imagination it builds social and emotional development.
We are in a day and age when we’re measured by our achievement. We are worried about these things:
- test scores
- learning sooner
- learning faster
- achieving more,
But we also must not forget about the importance of creativity. It is important to develop the creative side early in children, continuing through the older years
However, I agree that it is also important for the children to achieve academic success too.
Infants/Babies (age 0 to 15 months)
Babies/Infants activity’s for developing creative is very simple and fun. They are truly creative in their way, being completely spontaneous in their actions and reactions.
For an example see how a small baby might react, if they bring up a small amount of milk. Baby is on his tummy on the floor.
- He sees the milk, interesting
- feel it – warm and wet
- Pats it -still wet
- Tried to taste it, YUCK
The baby was using his physical senses to explore his world, his actions were creative. Babies use all their senses to explore their world, while trying to understand it.
Development always occurs in several areas at a time. Baby evolve a variety of motor skills, while being creative:
- crawling around exploring different textures
- rolling a ball
- Playing with toys that fit his hand
- catching a balloon, and feeling its texture, as he gets older the little tike try to sit on it.
- splashing in any water he can get too
Simple games are always great:
- Looking around for someone hiding under a blanket or behind their hands.
- Curiosity is linked to creativity, both are important skills to have and to hone . However, there is a decline in both, curiosity and creativity between the ages of five and eight, bottoming out in preadolescence, unless we keep it going. Parents can nurture these lost skills by reinforcing children’s habits of curiously.
Toddlers (15 months to 2.5 years)
There are various stages of creative development in toddlers (15 months to 2.5 years) Moving into that 2ND year, you can continue developing creativity by giving the child opportunities to make choices as well as, free play time (as long as it is safe). This is for developing their creativity.
Below are some ideas to help your little ones:’
Sight
- Colored streamers by open window, so streamers will blow in the breeze,
- A mirror that the child can see in.
- Simple pictures, (maybe laminated for safety) so they can touch and feel the pictures.
- Mobiles and pictures over the toddlers bed and changing table, pictures are always good.
Hearing
- Singing to them
- Soft music at sleep time
- Dance music when you dance around with them
- Make sounds of animals, trains and other, common sounds, telling what it is
Touch
- Splash in water
- Finger paint, They can even use a leaf to paint with, if your little one doesn’t try to eat it
- Soft toys, compare to the surface of a cool window glass
- Smooth surface of tile floor versus the rough textile of the carpet
- Sticky substance
Smells
- Smell a lemon
- Smell flowers
- Your bottle of perfume
Taste
As for taste, toddlers often have a strong like and dislike. Taste is very much connected to smell. While giving food to baby, tell them the name of it .
Don’t step in (unless it is not safe),
Letting children work through thing them self is worth it. I know it is hard for most parents, but it is good for them to be forced to learn problem solving on their own.
As the children’s skills increases, offer more play materials that they can control, and manipulate, things that will make an impact on them. For example: Blocks, play dough, dolls, puzzles, non-toxic art materials, and interlocking toys, to encourage children’s senses and thinking abilities. Children explore blocks, as in size, shape, numbers, texture, weight, and balance.
Look at all the amazing complex learning just from blocks .
Gradually introduce your child to the world away from home.
By now, they have pretty much explored the yard, and around the neighborhood. As child explore they check out Bugs, flowers, grass, and leaves. Now is the time for beyond their area.
Trips
Visiting the Zoo.
- (The Zoo) is an exciting place to go, your little one will love all the animals, all there shapes, sizes, and colors ( plus the bird and Aquatic species such as turtles. The animals make weird faces and sounds at you.
- (The Beach) with the water, sand, ocean waves, ocean breezes, sun (don’t forget the sun screen). Also, sea shells, (they can start a collation or make a collage to hang in their room).
- (Children Museums are great). The kids can touch thing etc.
Back at Home – there is art and crafts plus more
There are always more things to do.
- For quite time, a paper grocery bag, (as long as it is safe), To gather their treasures in the paper bag. A cardboard box is also great, a magnifying glass, (with adult supervision). Digging shovel, and a bucket, a bug catcher etc.
Why, Why, Why – the Golden word
Why, Why, Why, it is a constant childhood word, that parents are relieved when their preschoolers outgrow this urge to ask questions, Actually don’t let it stop. It is the best thing you can do for your child, It helps sustains their curiosity which is linked to creativity, as we know both Curiosity and Creativity is linked, and both start to decline between 5 years and 8 years of age. Bottoming out in preadolescence. In the teen years, curiosity is further undermined by the premium placed on knowing the “right answers” for standardize testing.
According to Tony Wagner of the Change Leadership Group at Harvard School of Education, group qualities such as curiosity, creativity, and imagination are for today’s Kids “While the three R’s are still important, but are more for the previous generation”. Corporate executives agree. In a 2011 survey, 1500 CEOs’ named Creativity as the most important leadership competency for the future.
How do you Spell C-U-R-I-O-S-I-T-Y
Creativity is well beyond our current art classroom in our school’s today, they follow directions. While they need to use their ability to explore and respond flexibly to our environment in new and meaningful ways. However, art lessons and projects also help reinforce creativity. Although the best way to teach them and develop creative thinking is by making their habits of curiosity part of all the children’s life every day.
C: Connect creativity, curiosity, and Caring.
– Wondering and questioning is the beginnings of creativity. Finding solutions is as important as asking good questions. Being caring and interested in what we’re doing stimulates creativity
U: Using uncertainty
-Not only the end result of something is important, but the creative thinking is what matters in creativity.
R: Reflect, Refine
– What Neuroscience calls “mind wondering” is along with right-brain intuition and imagination, it is visual and processes information an intuitive and simultaneous way. While creating anything new involves the rational evaluating left brain. When, connecting old information in a new way that triggers creative insight. But we must pause, reflect, and focus on refining it, to make any new ideas work.
I: Investigate Multiple viewpoints
– While challenging different points of view by investigating, we can get past familiar solutions, if we can minimize our fear of being wrong, then exploring, we can find a fresh perspective.
O: Observe closely
– Carefully observe with sharpened awareness, entrance perception and capture more information, noticing and absorbing detail, with all your senses.
S: Stick with it
– Creativity is a process, you need to persist in even when a problem is difficult. When you need to stop, recharge, it is important. Then return to the task with a fresh eyes.
I: Imagine
– We can get past familiar or superficial solutions, by investigating different points of view and challenging assumptions, using a fresh perspective.
Y: You are not an island.
– Intuition and knowledge expands opportunities for discovery. Collaborating with others sparks ideas in unpredictable ways.
Suggestions for Nurtuturing Curiosity
Michigan State University Extension – offers the following suggestions for nurturing curiosity
- Wonder aloud. – When we say out loud. “I wonder why the lake is frozen,” We are modeling what it means to be curious.
- Encourage natural interests. – If your child is interested in painting, for example, then give them lots of different opportunities to paint.
- Answer questions simply and clearly. – However, no matter the age, always ask your child first what their thoughts are before answering.
- Use open-ended questions. – Use who, what, when, where, why and how to stimulate your child’s curiosity.
- Redirect versus discourage.- Give your child an opportunity “in a safe way” to explore their interests. If it is something unsafe, say houseplants, give them chances to play in the dirt. If they like to pour water out of their cup, then move them to a tile floor or give them similar items to play with outside or in the bathtub to have a similar experience.
- Have open-ended material available. – When we give children items to play with like blocks, water, sand, pots and any art material, we are giving them the chance to use their curiosity about how to play with the item. Many store-bought toys can only be used in one way and do not challenge the child to figure out a way to play with it on their own.
Creative Minds need Nurturing.
Here are some tips for nurturing:
- Spend time outside
- Natures benefits for Children’s development is endless. Nature provides countless opportunities, they make discovery, creative, and problem solving. Outdoors in Nature, children are inspired to thing, question, make theory, and develop creative minds.
- Give your little tyke a scenario. With a scenario, the child tries a lot of different thinking and organizes his thoughts, through the use of his imagination of ingenious thinking, while developing social and verbal skills. Encouraging them to play house, zoo, farm, space station, school, or store.
- How about superheroes, What power would your little one want as his superpower. He could create a new superhero!
- Verbal activities Play games, like “I Spy” make up some songs, silly sound, these activities are also good for trips in the car.
- Also, verbal interactive activities. They can inspire and nurture creative minds, also can build vocabulary and help with phonics.c
- Art activities. Art should be an expression of the child’s imagination, (I’m not speaking of art lessons,) the child’s self -expression in art provides a sense of freedom and also encourages focus and concentration. Furthermore, Art activities develop fine motor skills and hand-eye cooperation, and also confidence through the mastery over materials in a new creations.
- Share literacy activities. Reading time is great, you can discuss different possibility for the end, make up stories, at times use the child ‘s imagination an make them the main character in the story.
- Ask open-end question, and thought-provoking questions that provoke imaginative and creative things, this allows the child to express their ideas and share their visions.
- Ask your child. Tell me 3 things you like best about yourself?
. What hobbies or free time activities do you enjoy the most?
. What is the different between a dog and a cat?
CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD
The more curious a child is the more they learn.
- Higher levels of positive emotions are shown to be associated with curiosity, and have lower levels of anxiety, with more satisfaction with life, and greater psychological well-being.
- There are so many things that curiosity and creativity do for us. They are linked together and we have been told they both start declining between the ages of five and eight, bottoming out in preadolescence.
- Curiosity is further undermined during the teen years, by the premium we place on “right answers” for standardized testing.
- Thinking skills, such as critical and creative is as essential for students who plan to work and excel in the 21 century workforce.
- This is all important for the future of our children with all the new technology and the new technology that is coming, we need to prepare our children, maintain the critical thinking and creative thing to keep up with the future.
ALBERT EINSTEIN said
“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious,”
WALT DISNEY said
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing things because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
JUST AN ADDED NOTE
Mostly what I have been talking about is called in today’s terms, STEM, which stands for the new Science . Technology. Engineering. Math. It is practically in every aspect of our future
Per the, National Inventors, Hall of Fame.
All young people should have the change to become innovators, educators, researchers, and leaders.
According to the “U.S. Department of Education” They should be prepared to think deeply and to think well:
So they can solve the most pressing challenges facing our nation and our world, both today and tomorrow.
When you add STEAM and STREAM to STEM, You are adding: STEAM which (ADDS “ART”), and STREAM (ADDS “READING ” or “RESEACH” and “ART”)
If you would like more information, you can go to google, and look up STEM
I hope you found this interesting
Please feel free to share you thought below, I would love to hear from you,
Thank You
Edith
