GymbaROO
For an experienced cook, the task of making a meal based on the ingredients available in the fridge, cupboard or garden is simple. Assess what you have, and then with some curiosity, creativity and imagination combine what you have into something delicious. As we all know this does not always go well, but mostly things work fine, and every now then then you strike on a winner!! I am imagining these skills are being used and developed in the new situation we find ourselves in, as we stay home and try to stop the spread of Covid-19. What I do find interesting is that these are exactly the skills that today’s education system is focused on; creativity, imagination, critical thinking and problem solving. This article is focused on the importance of creativity, because although this time of Covid-19 is really challenging, we may in fact be learning ourselves and teaching our children some very valuable lessons.
Human beings have a highly developed ability to creatively innovate and this requires curiosity and imagination. In recent times educators have realised that ‘knowledge based’ education (learning facts that can then be regurgitated) is not very useful when most of us have Google at our fingertips (Leggett, 2017). What we need are thinkers, people who look for creative solutions and are critical thinkers, so that the issues our world is facing now can be remedied. Children aged four to six years are in their prime when it comes to creative thinking and it is also important to remember that creativity is not just about the Arts (Leggett, 2017). The level of creativity talked about by current educators spans the whole curriculum. Of course, I believe that the best place to begin developing these skills is with our pre-schoolers. I adore the clear thinking of a three-year-old as they explore ideas and concepts from their perceptions of the world. They often say some very wise things, although some of them are also highly entertaining. Encouraging curiosity takes time and it is tempting to give the answer that you understand to be correct. However, the brain has a better workout when adults understand that it is good to allow the child time to complete the mental gymnastics being undertaken as they work to solve their dilemma.
This time of being ‘at-home’ is the perfect opportunity to teach children about creativity. I am not meaning art, craft, music and theatre, although they are very important elements of creativity – I am talking about a much broader perspective. It all begins with not having access to things you would normally have access to. For young children this will mostly be play-based. “So, you want to go to the park, but the parks are closed – what can we do to make some ‘park’ fun?” Today I found some children in a tree as I walked the dog and they were having a great time. People are making activities in their backyards, parents making obstacle courses and older children creating solutions. I see people looking for creative solutions everywhere I look (both online and in my close neighbourhood). The best thing parents can do is talk with their children about the process of creatively solving the problem, foster their curiosity, and where appropriate get them to come up with some solutions. Letting you children see how this process works is perfect and is in fact setting them up for the future they will be part of.
Covid-19 has taken away much of what is good for children, education settings, social context, holidays and access to outdoor play areas. But we have this unique opportunity to embrace the creativity we are all having to employ to get through this most challenging of times.
References:
Leggett, N. (2017). Early childhood creativity: Challenging educators in their role to intentionally develop creative thinking in children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 45(6), 845-853.
To view on YouTube:
You may also like to read:
