Tweet
How do you facilitate creativity with you daycare children? I feel mine lack creativity. What do you do to help your kids be more creative?
-
-
I take myself out of their play. When children are entertained too much by adults they lose/or never develop the ability to creatively entertain themselves.
Limiting the battery toys to specific times or getting rid of them altogether helps alot..
Get back to the basics.
- Unless otherwise stated, all my posts are personal opinion and worth what you paid for them.
-
YES YES YESI take myself out of their play. When children are entertained too much by adults they lose/or never develop the ability to creatively entertain themselves.
Limiting the battery toys to specific times or getting rid of them altogether helps alot..
Get back to the basics.
Give them really good toys (no batteries or toys that DO anything) and SUPERVISE their play. Simple and turns out really awesome kids who are excellent "students".Comment
-
we play "what am I ?" (elephant is my personal favorite)
we take turns acting like an animal (young kids get to make noises)
the kid that guesses right gets to be "it"
then after everyone has a turn we paint our animal and read about it.
What does it eat?
where does it live?
then they usually walk to their mom or dad in full "character " at pick up time
you can do this with community helpers...police officer, fireman, teacher,
lots of fun and you get to act like a fool showing them how to play!!:
:::
Comment
-
Mine are in cardboard boxes, wearing engineer hats as we speak..... CHOO! Choo!! (well, one is actually a cereal bowl, but who is keeping score?)- Unless otherwise stated, all my posts are personal opinion and worth what you paid for them.Comment
-
a lot of dramatic play, allowing the kids to chose what is going to be the plot of our play time. Sometimes I will ask them to go off our our themed lesson, but still allow them to make all the decisions. I have three huge tubs of dramatic play clothes and props.
Often I will play with them, but they tell me what to wear, do or say. I let them lead.... They love it when I look like a fool.....
Also, for young children at this age, its the process not the product that matters. Meaning with painting, they may just want to mix all the colors together instead of actually painting a nice pic. Dont expect a result...
we talk about make believe a lot. I get a lot of large empty boxes from DCP and we make tons of great things like cars or boats and use these in our dramatic play as well....Comment
-
NO pre-printed coloring books or pages...plain paper only and lots and lots of art supplies that do nothing unless you supply the creativity.Comment
-
Limited screen time
Simple, basic toys
Create by example...sit down and color/draw with them, play playdough with them, build blocks, etc. Do your own thing beside them doing their own thing...free play with them. Show them some of what the material can do, then gradually move yourself out of the situation and watch as the mimic what you were doing, and then eventually start creating their own ideas.
Ask leading questions if they seem to be stuck...I use this a lot in conflict resolution ("I don't want him to play with me!"----"Well, what if he helps cook the food?"). "What happens next?" "What else could that be?" "How else could we solve that problem?" "What if we...."
Teach problem solving--don't solve their problems for them, hand over hand show them how to solve the problem themselves. How to get the toy unstuck, how to put the hat on their head, how to make a snake out of playdough.Hee hee! Look, I have a signature!Comment
-
Ask the big kids to get the little ones started with an idea!
On Monday morning before school, my school-agers said the playhouse (indoors) was a space ship headed for Jupiter. Guess what it's been everyday since then? The toddlers & preschoolers have taken the idea and run with it ::.
Comment
-
Thank you everyone for your ideas. It is so helpful!
Comment
-
We have no battery toys either. My latest addition is a big basket with some old large sheets, extra large sturdy clothespins and some lengths of rope. They tie the rope to various chairs, and other pieces of furniture, and drape the sheets over everything. Pull some blankets and dolls inside, and you've got yourself a new home (or spaceship, cave, snowfort, whatever)
I have been a little worried about the rope being a strangulation hazard, but we talked about the dangers of wrapping it around necks, and i've been keeping a very close eye on it all.
Comment
Comment