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Foster creativity that lasts a lifetime
by Joyce E. Nuner
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How to nurture creativity in children
Here are some simple steps we can take to help children express their natural inclination toward creativity.
Take time to appreciate aesthetically pleasing things. Aesthetics refers to an appreciation for beauty and a feeling of wonder. Children often experience this sense of wonder when looking at a ladybug or playing with goop in a sensory table. Music, art, books, and even a pretty rock can all inspire creativity. As facilitators of children’s learning, we need to expose them to many beautiful things.
It is equally important that we take time to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. A child’s joy and wonder at watching water spill from cup to cup may seem boring to an adult, but to the child it is wonderful and amazing. Slow down. Look. Listen. Touch. Smell and taste with a new appreciation for the wonder of it all.
Spend time with nature. Everybody needs a little nature. Whether it is spending time outside on the playground, taking a walk around the school grounds, or taking care of the plants or an aquarium in the classroom, children and adults alike need some exposure to natural things every day. Nature can heighten our senses and calm us, all at the same time.
Allow, accept, and even encourage the unconventional. It’s OK if a child doesn’t think or do things in the same way that other children do. This is the very definition of creativity.
To adults, however, unusual thought processes seem foreign. Give the child the benefit of the doubt. See where the line of thought is going before intervening or dismissing what the child is saying.
Consider this example: On the last day of preschool, Jack, a 4-year-old, asked, “Why are we here?” The adult standing next to Jack answered, “It’s the last day of school, and we’re celebrating with a picnic.” Jack persisted, “No, I mean why are we here, on Earth?” Then began a lengthy and deep conversation between teacher and child exploring what Jack thought.
It was not a typical conversation with a 4-year-old. Or was it? Maybe we just respond to children’s questions too quickly with our adult answers instead of allowing them to create their own theories and solutions. Rather than answer children’s questions with an adult response, we might encourage them to articulate their own thoughts and feelings. Creative problem solving, artistic projects, and experiments are often the result of less teacher intervention, not more.
Provide open-ended toys. Choose toys that encourage children to do the creative work. Blocks, construction sets, dolls, rhythm instruments, puppets, balls, and dramatic play props are a few examples.
Avoid toys that have batteries or do things for the child. What fun is a baby doll that makes crying sounds when a child is perfectly capable of pretending that the baby is crying, cooing, or talking?
When we give children toys that do everything for them, we are putting their play in a box. We are saying, “This is the way you should play with this toy, and only this way.” Such toys do not encourage creative thinking and imagination.
Open-ended toys, on the other hand, have no fixed way of playing with them, no single outcome. Recyclable items are a great place to start. Empty water bottles can be made into cars or airplanes, for example. Add a filler, such as pebbles, and you have a musical instrument. Ends and pieces of PVC pipe in a sand and water table can add to the pouring fun. All shapes and sizes of cardboard boxes and cylinders can be added to the block center and open up a whole new kind of building.
Provide open-ended materials. To create masterpieces, children need a wide selection of open-ended materials. Teachers model their creativity when they give children unique items to paint with or on. Newspaper need not be used only to protect an easel or table surface. It can be the canvas for the budding artist. Instead of brushes, provide empty paper towel rolls and small boxes that children can use to make geometric paintings.
Working with an assortment of materials can encourage a variety of imaginative outcomes. Rather than just one product, children can generate an array of products or no product at all, if they so choose.
Take pictures of the children as they explore materials in the art center. Display these photographs instead of focusing on their finished artwork. Art in and of itself is not the only form of creativity, but it is one outlet.
Provide opportunities for interaction. Allow children to think, question, and express themselves in unconventional ways. Children learn through social interaction with peers and adults, so create a classroom environment where there is abundant time to talk with children.
Talking with children is different than talking at them. Direct instruction is not the goal here. We want to engage children in conversations. Meal times, center time, playground time, and transitions from one activity to the next can all provide opportunities for teachers to use open-ended questions to encourage language and engage children in conversation. For example, “Cassie, tell me about your clay sculpture,” or “Nicholas, what do you like about painting with your hands and fingers?”
Value the process over the product. If you haven’t already thrown all your coloring sheets into the recycle bin, do so now. They stifle creativity! They are the adult’s perception of what an image should be. They are not a child’s creation. They are not about the process.
Bulletin boards don’t need 15 uniform pictures displayed to show that a class has been learning. They need to show many shades, many brush strokes, and many variations, much like the children we serve.
Model creativity for children. In working with young children, we want to encourage and appreciate their natural inclination toward creative thinking. One of the most important steps we can take in doing this is to exercise our own creativity. Remember, everybody has some.
When we model a creative attitude for children, we are fostering a positive, creative, accepting environment where children feel safe to ask questions, create, and ultimately learn.

References
Honig, A.S. 2006. Supporting creativity. Early Childhood Today, 20(5).
Ludeman, Kate and Erlanson, Eddie. 2003. Radical Change Radical Results. Chicago: Dearborn.
Mayesky, Mary. 2000. Creative Activities for Young Children. Albany, N.Y: Delmar.
Szekely, George. 2006. How Children Make Art. New York: Teachers College Press.

About the author
Joyce E. Nuner, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of child development and family studies at Baylor University. She has taught children from 4-year-olds through second grade and has been a director of an NAEYC-accredited preschool program serving children 18 months to 5 years.