Teach your children how to let their imaginations flow

Creative Lessons
by Rebecca James

Not long ago, I watched an old video of my twin sons when they were 2 years old.

They were seated at the table playing with Play-Doh; their only tools were some toothpicks and their adorable, pudgy little fingers. In the span of five minutes, they made and imagined their way through about a half-dozen different scenarios. One proudly declared he was being a "'struction worker" manipulating a building out of the yellow lump in front of him. The other made a cake. It went on like that for a while, each one latching onto a different passing thought, working it out manually with the Play-Doh.


Creative benefits

When it comes to creativity, one might be inclined to argue there is a vast difference between the concept in the mind of a child versus that of an adult. Kids have constant, limitless capacity for being creative. Cardboard boxes are rockets hurtling through outer space; a box of crayons is the key to the kingdom of unique drawings; and their make-believe play will have you truly believing they are firemen or princesses.

Adults, however, will use creativity to solve a problem, make life simpler or to sell a product. They make use of their creative skills, rather than simply enjoy them for what they're worth.

Creativity also helps kids grow emotionally, not to mention act as a gateway to more effective communication. Jennifer Henk, a child and adolescent therapist with Lotus Group in Fishers, says the primary benefits of fostering creativity in children are vital to their emotional and interpersonal well-being.

"First of all, it really boosts their self-esteem," Henk says.

"It also allows the important parent-child relationship to develop, as well as allowing for fun in a nonstructured environment."

With the many demands on families - from work and school, to social and athletic commitments - there seems to be less and less time available for parents and kids to just have fun and spend some quality time together.

Embarking on a creative endeavor together, whether it's a specific project or just imagining "cloud creatures" in a sunny, summer sky, will give a child much more than a parent could ever know.

Henk says parents often times worry about not doing things the "right way" when it comes to their children. However, the beauty of spending fun, creative time with kids is that there's no way to do it wrong.

"You're not going to mess it up," she says. "Parents can struggle with acceptance from their kids, but spending time with them is great ... especially when there's no set schedule involved."

One suggestion Henk offers for families who are in constant motion, is to make the most of drive time. As you're shuttling from place to place, turn off the music and tune into the kids in the back seat. Choose any of the common car trip games to play as you make your way through town, such as the "Alphabet Game," or finding a specific color or landmark. True, these games make the time pass quickly, but the simple interaction between parent and child is even more valuable.

Even time spent around the house can prove beneficial - playing with favorite toys, making crafts, painting and cooking are all great opportunities to actively engage in creative work.

"Younger kids don't always have the vocabulary to express themselves," Henk says, "so using puppets or an object to communicate thoughts or ideas is important."


Everyday lessons

Simply put, creativity isn't just a "skill" or ability, but a true building block for children. Former teacher and current author/publisher MaryAnn Kohl has been publishing art-related books for kids since 1985, inspiring the development of creative processes.

"Creativity is as natural for children as fresh air and sunshine," Kohl says via her Web site, www.brightring.com. She also says providing creative outlets for kids gives them great childhood memories, in addition to helping them maintain their creative expression as they grow.

According to Kohl, creativity can be found in all aspects of a child's life - making it relatively easy for parents to integrate creativity in everyday activities. A simple trip to the grocery store can become an exercise in creative thinking if parents simply look past the shopping list and think about what's around them. The produce section invites discussion of colors and textures; aisle markers and sale signs encourage early readers to sound out new words and build vocabularies; even product logos or mascots can be triggers for inventing funny or exciting stories as you shop.

Westfield resident Lori Tebbe has ample opportunity to exercise creativity in young minds. She is the mother of five children and regularly baby-sits in her home.

"One of the kids' favorite activities is what we call 'The Guessing Game,'" Tebbe says, "where one child thinks of something, and it's up to the rest of us to ask questions and guess what it is."

Tebbe says this activity comes in handy with her kids - Jacob, 12; Spencer, 10; Connor, 9; Maverick, 5 and Chesney, 3 - when they're waiting, whether for lunch to be served or waiting on food in a restaurant. Since her kids are involved in sports, she says they spend a lot of time in the car, traveling to practices and games. In addition to The Guessing Game, Tebbe says her kids also enjoy playing "I Spy."

When they're not on the run, the kids love to make up a game of charades and participate in a long-standing, favorite family activity - puppet making.

"This is something my own kids enjoy, as well as those I take care of during the day," Tebbe says. "I give everyone a brown paper lunch sack, and provide a box of stuff to decorate them. They love coming up with characters and stories on their own."

Many times, the kids' characters get to star in puppet shows featuring favorite nursery rhyme themes. To make things even more fun and different, they'll change around the stories and characters a little bit for fun.

"That's something my husband, Andy, has done with our own kids," Tebbe says. "He'll read them nursery rhymes wrong on purpose ... like making it 'Baa, baa white sheep,' instead of 'Baa baa black sheep.'"

Overall, Tebbe says the kids really love the activities, especially when one of them gets to decide what they do. All the kids play together nicely, and the activities have had a definite, long-lasting impact on her older children.

"The older kids did these activities when they were younger, and now I see them taking a definite interest in helping the younger children with them," she says.