Creativity is the expression of ideas in a personal and unique way, using the imagination. A child’s creativity is more than just a form of entertainment. It begins with curiosity and a drive to explore the environment. Creativity involves the expression of ideas. Creative activities provide children with a means of communication with themselves and with the outside world. The child should be provided with opportunities for children to become creative and develop their own ideas through a variety of media. Various medias such as clay, play dough, sand, paints, waters, crayons, chalk, different types of paper, waste cloth pieces etc. can be provided to the children.
Helpfulness of Creativity to Children!!!
- Helps the child to solve problems
- Helps the child to explore his own surroundings
- Child learns the concept of sharing with others
- Creativity also facilitates the cognitive and motor development in the child.
- Imaginary skills in the child are also facilitated through creative activities.
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Materials that can be provide to the children for each Activity:
For DRAWING: A variety of drawing media will allow children to discover different properties and applications. The following materials will provide a range of effects.
- Pencil: offer thick coloured pencils
- Chalk: white and coloured chalks offer different effects and textures.
- Wax crayons: provide different thickness and textures
- Pastel colours: oil and water pastels produce a wide range of effects even if they are expensive and fragile as compared to wax crayons.
For PAINTING: the way that painting is provided for will depend on the space available. The teacher can provide the children with:
- Variety of paints: include powder paint, KidZee non-toxic paints.
- Variety of paintbrushes and tools: include thick and thin brushes, decorator’s brushes for large areas. Introduce tools that can be used with paint such as sponges, corks, old toothbrushes and straws and demonstrate these techniques.
- Provide a variety of paper: the children can be provided with different types of paper such as: marble paper, crepe paper, textured paper, corrugated sheet etc.
- Provide children with sufficient space to work with paints. Children require more space than adults for working with paints. Children can be provided with easels boards and tables to work on.
For COLLAGE: collage involves sticking two – dimensional or three – dimensional materials, such as cloth, paper, dry leaves and flowers, feathers, sand etc. Collage introduces children to a variety of textures.
- Supply children with adequate and correct adhesive.
- Collect and store a stimulating range of materials: the teacher can also ask the children to get some materials from their home
- Provide a variety of surfaces for children to stick on to: such as card paper, cardboard, fabric etc.
- Teach children different tearing and cutting techniques and provide effective scissors, which will not sharp at the tip. Preferable use plastic scissors for the children.
MUSIC: thorough the early years the child should be provided with opportunities to listen and respond to music and to make their own music. As well as fostering an appreciation of music, this will provide children with another channel for communication and self-expression. The teacher can:
- Provide opportunities for children to listen to music: the teacher should introduce a wide range of musical styles, classical, contemporary, electronic. Choose music that is culturally diverse. The teacher can also include Hindi and vernacular language rhymes in the class.
- Teach children songs and rhymes: include all sorts of rhymes, traditional funny, and number and from all over the world. Encourage the children to recognize the rhythm in songs and rhymes.
- Get children to move to music: create a mood with music or use music to tell a story and get children to respond. Introduce children to different styles of dance and encourage children to respond to music with their bodies through dance.
IMAGINATIVE AND DRAMATIC PLAY: Imaginative play provides children with a means of communication with others and themselves. It can also give them another perspective on the world and the role they play in it. Teacher can encourage imaginative play through:
- Plan imaginative play areas to link with any theme that might be developed
- Ensure dressing up clothes, is easy to put on.
- The teacher can update the equipments in the dolls corner.
- Imaginative play can be fostered through the doll corner, sand play, block play and water play.
ROLE OF TEACHER
Provision:
- Select and present materials and equipment appropriate to the stage of development of the child, for example thick brushes for 3 year olds, finer ones for 7 year olds.
- Organize storage of materials so that they are accessible and easily maintained.
- Introduce new materials. They can act as a stimulus to children’s ideas.
- Display children’s work with care, showing that you value their own efforts
Planning:
- Give time and space to creative activities
- Organize experiences that will act as a stimulus to creative activities
Working alongside:
- Encourage the child
- Do not judge by adult standards. Value the child’s work for its own sake.
- Do not do it for the child. Let the child do it for himself
- Teach children techniques. Children’s creativity may be hindered if they lack the skills associated with the activity.
Reference: Beaver, Brewster, Jones, Keene, Neaum and Tallac, “Babies and Young Children – Diploma in Childcare and Education”, U.K., Nelson Thomas. |
