Know

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. Pablo Picasso

Creativity can happen anywhere: quiet moments by yourself, surrounded by a group of enthusiastic people, on a walk, in a car, etc. Think of a time when the enthusiasm of your friends gave you the confidence to try something new. What did you discover about yourself? How about a time when a walk generated a resolution to a problem you were facing? Did this experience spark other curiosities you wish to pursue? Have you ever pondered an invention to make your day a bit easier?

Just as experiences and activities inspire your own creativity, they also foster children’s creativity as well. In Lesson One, you learned that creativity is something that can be nurtured and cultivated; it is not something that simply exists in some individuals and not in others. Each child needs opportunities to discover, create, and enjoy interactions, experiences, and activities that help lead them to ongoing learning and growth. Caring adults can provide children with consistent and supportive relationships within a safe environment that offers opportunities and access to a variety of experiences, materials, and activities. This type of responsive care provides children with the security and confidence they need to explore, experiment, and initiate creative learning.

Experiences and Activities that Foster Curiosity

Children are naturally curious. This curiosity can be supported when providers offer opportunities to learn through daily routines and everyday experiences. Facilitating children’s curiosity develops their critical thinking skills and positive dispositions towards learning. Consider how your program fosters creativity in children. Does it encourage and provide opportunities for creative expression for all children? How do you support creativity?

Foundational Experiences for Infants and Toddlers

In your work, it is important to offer creative experiences to infants and toddlers. When this happens, they begin to develop positive attitudes for learning, such as:

• Taking an interest
• Expressing a willingness to explore, experiment and try new things
• Knowing how and where to seek help from trusting adults
• Being flexible and finding solutions to problems
• Staying engaged in activities and continuing to try even when things get difficult
• Making choices and decisions

As a family child care provider, you determine the best ways to ensure that foundational experiences are being offered and that children’s creativity is being encouraged throughout the day. During these early years, providers should focus on interacting sensitively and skillfully to support and enhance children’s natural curiosity and creativity. There are many ways you can encourage this throughout the day. You can plan specific activities, such as dancing and finger painting. You can also encourage thinking and problem solving by helping children do things in their own ways. The table below highlights different approaches and ideas:

Creative Expression through Exploring and Questioning with Preschoolers

As a family child care provider, you can encourage creativity by thinking about the questions and comments you make while a child is creating. The table below will provide you with some examples of how to encourage the creative process and what to avoid.

Here are some additional ways to help promote creative expression in the learning environment:

• Provide materials for open-ended art, music, dance, drama, and literature experiences.
• Allow for long-term projects by providing space for children to store their work that is not yet complete.
• Allow for free time each day so that children can choose their own experiences and create their own activities.
• Scaffold learning to promote specific skill development.
• Allow children to take on different gender roles regardless of how they identify.
• Observe children carefully so that you are aware of each child’s needs and interests.

School-Agers Self-Expression: Communicating Through the Arts

Self-expression is a significant part of growing up. School-age children need to develop healthy forms of self-expression to handle the emotions and stress that come with growing older. The creative arts help them do so. At times, school-age children may have difficulty discussing what is on their minds, and using the arts is a way to help them communicate their feelings in a variety of ways.

Using the creative arts as a form of communication allows children to express themselves in healthy ways. In the chart below, the six major creative arts are illustrated with examples of how school-age children might communicate. Keep in mind that there is no right or wrong way for children to use the arts as a form of communication or self-expression. The creative process allows children to make their own decisions about their work, to take risks, and to make mistakes. The methods listed below are only a small portion of the possible ways children can use the arts to communicate.

Many of these experiences are meant to successfully build on children’s innate joy for play and their desire to be part of engaging interactions. For example, as a toddler begins to pretend that an object stands for something else (such as a plate being used as a hat), a key skill is developing. The toddler is beginning to understand the idea of symbolism which leads to abstract thinking. This helps lay a foundation for being able to use words and pictures to express ideas.

Families remain a valuable resource as you learn about the strengths and needs of the children in your care. Some children may need you to make adaptations or provide support that will enable them to express their creativity and feel successful. Well-planned, creative experiences encourage children to use all their senses. When you plan creative experiences in advance, you also have an opportunity to expand and adapt for a child with specific learning needs.

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” — Dr. Seuss

Fostering Culturally Responsive Creative Experiences

Culturally responsive experiences are those that create a sense of belonging by allowing children see themselves and their families represented in your program. This may mean opportunities for self-expression and discovery. It may also mean broad exposure to people, ideas, and experiences from around the world. In terms of creativity, the word “culture” can be quite broad. You should provide experiences that help children begin to define a sense of self and a sense of the world around them. This may include racial or ethnic identity, but it can also include identities related to family values, beliefs, or experiences. Caregivers should be mindful about representing a variety of these things in their child care setting. For example, children may explore making music with different types of instruments, listen to different stories from around the world, or view photos of their families, their peers’ families, and family structures that may be different from their own.

As you create and offer experiences, it is also important to remember that each child demonstrates their creativity in a unique way. Some children may not be familiar with creative, playful interactions, such as peekaboo, and will need support to engage in a new, unfamiliar experience. Therefore, our relationships and communication with families play a vital role in supporting a creative environment. Families can provide information regarding their values, beliefs, and meaningful experiences that highlight their family’s culture. Asking all family members about their views on creative play is important, as the children will bring experiences from home, incorporating them into the ways they explore and experiment in your family child care home.

Distinguishing between Process- and Product-Oriented Experiences

In your work with children and youth, it is best practice to provide daily opportunities for creativity and innovation. One such way is through process-oriented experiences. These experiences are child directed, part of the everyday, and open-ended. The focus is on the process of learning and exploration. Sometimes, there is a product which is unique and original to the child. Other times, there may not be a final product or the product is lost during the process of experimentation.

Examples of process-oriented activities may include:

• Using their bodies to create sounds
• Creating prints using different objects
• Making up a story and acting it out
• Experimenting with unconventional materials to build a birdhouse
• Designing a dance for a favorite song

In contrast, product-oriented experiences focus on the result or product of the experience. They are often adult-directed and have a predetermined goal or outcome. With product-oriented activities, there is usually a right and wrong way to proceed, which may lead to frustration from the child.

Examples of product-oriented activities may include:

• Creating identical snowmen
• Offering only feathers, glue, and paper to make a bird
• Using the same materials or objects to build similar-looking houses
• Working with conventional instruments in the way they are intended for use

In your work, you should consider the creative experiences and activities you provide and evaluate to what extent children will be engaged and if the activity is meaningful for the child. When making decisions about process-oriented or product-oriented experiences, identify the intended learning goals and objectives. There is value in teaching specific skills, however, the key is to find balance. You can facilitate learning of certain techniques, such as using scissors or glue in a variety of open-ended ways. For instance, a child who expresses interest in hanging their recently completed city map on the wall provides you with an opportunity to work on the child’s cutting skills. As a result, you suggest scissors as a tool to cut tape. In doing so, the child is engaged in a meaningful activity with scissors to strengthen their cutting skills. Through repeated experiences such as this, you are cultivating creativity and innovation while also building essential skills.

According to Althouse, Johnson, and Mitchell, who write about integrating the visual arts into the classroom (2003), when adults continuously dictate to children the size paper to use, colors to use, and the product to make, creativity is discouraged. Therefore, it is important to provide rich process-oriented experiences for children to discover the endless possibilities of creative expression.

Here are some ways to help promote creative expression in the learning environment:

• Provide materials for open-ended art, music, dance, drama, discovery, and literature experiences.
• Allow for long-term projects by providing space for children to store their work that is not yet complete.
• Allow for free time each day so that children can choose their own experiences and create their own activities.
• Scaffold learning to promote specific skill development.
• Allow children to take on different gender roles regardless of how they identify.
• Observe children carefully so that you are aware of each child’s needs and interests.

Meeting the Needs of All Learners

Each child develops and approaches creative experiences differently. Some children might have difficulties accessing creative experiences. For example, a toddler may be unable to reach or stand for long periods of time. A child with visual or hearing impairments may have trouble viewing a work of art or listening to a piece of music. A child who is easily overstimulated might not enjoy sensory experiences. You must be prepared to meet children where they are and make appropriate creative experiences a priority for all children. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when it comes to supporting all learners:

• Art and creative experiences should always be a choice, and there should be no wrong answers. Each child encounters experiences in his or her own way and at his or her own pace.
• Ensure children with disabilities can participate. You should create adaptations that allow each child in your care to be a full participant.
• Scaffold creative experiences for children who need support. Although creative experiences are often open-ended, it is OK for adults to provide some help when needed. You may use a variety of supports such as peer support, adult support, or environmental modifications to help children be successful. For example, you might offer an individual child a visual support to explain the routine of getting ready to paint (i.e., pictures of putting on smock, sitting at the table or easel, picking up a brush, and placing the brush on the paper).

See

Do

There are many things you can do to interact and create experiences for children to support their creativity:

• Share stories and read books.
• Take walks with children, explore, and talk about what you see.
• Play dress-up using hats, handbags, etc.
• Use a variety of materials for sensory play—sand, water, mud, play dough, paints.
• Use crayons and paper for scribbling on both vertical and horizontal surfaces.
• Make and use musical instruments—for example, fill an empty plastic water bottle with rice or dried peas for a shaker.
• Explore the tempo of songs and discuss how they make you feel.
• Provide new toys and objects in their reach—watch as they explore the items.
• Invite local artists (visual, music, dance, drama, and discovery) to come to your program to talk about their work.
• Explore art in your local community by visiting art museums, craft shows, or exhibitions.
• Partner with local art councils, programs, or museums.
• Offer a wide range of building materials including traditional and unconventional materials (unit blocks, wood slices, stones, empty cardboard boxes, etc.)
• Conduct experiments such as objects that sink or float.
• Use technology devices to take pictures of a creation and produce instructions on how it was made
• Use apps to create a puppet show