December 2009  Creativity is a gift that can be taught All it takes is a little quiet time and some art materials. reativity is the ability to generate or invent—to approach problems in any field from a fresh perspective. This definition by educational psychologist and author Jane M. Healy, Ph.D., helps us see why creativity is so valuable to us as adults. And why, as we get older, we want to hang on to the childlike qualities of delight, wonder and inventiveness that are the heart of creativity. But first, these qualities must be nurtured when we are children. Is creativity a gift that some children have naturally? Or can it be taught? Apparently, it’s both. Many experts believe that all children have the potential for creativity—and that parents, teachers and caregivers can do a lot to encourage this quality in kids. Which is not to say that measuring creativity is easy. The late E. Paul Torrance, Ph.D., author of Guiding Creative Talent and many other books on creativity, came up with these characteristics more than 40 years ago, and they are still considered to be reliable criteria today. Fluency. The ability to generate different relevant ideas about a single topic. Flexibility. The ability to shift thinking to different categories. Elaboration. The ability to work out an idea in detail such as embellishing a story or weaving in new and interesting ideas. Originality. Coming up with new, imaginative ideas. Dr. Healy offers yet another characteristic—evaluation. It’s the ability to select and refine ideas. Healy has found creative people to be more apt to apply a sifting process—that is, gleaning the very best ideas—rather than just accepting something at first that sounds unusual or clever.   What does creativity look like? Creative people have many of the following characteristics which we, as parents, can nurture in our children. Intense absorption in activities. Showing persistence at work or play. Seeing patterns and relationships. For example, triangles in tree branches, X’s on the kitchen floor, how gears make things turn. Combining things or ideas in new ways: “If I turn this gate on its side and put it against the box, it will be a ladder.” Challenging assumptions because of a reasoned-out difference of opinion. Coming to a decision independently and taking action based on it. The ability to shift from one idea to another. Having strong intuition and “seeing” the answer to a problem. The ability to go out on a limb and take a risk. Asking “what if” questions and making insightful observations. The tendency to create and test hypotheses. For example: “I put broccoli in the dog’s dish and I found out that dogs don’t like vegetables.” Tolerating ambiguity while exploring alternatives. Creative people don’t always expect an immediate answer. Finding enjoyment in thinking and working alone. —Adapted from “Your Child’s Growing Mind: A Practical Guide to Brain Development and Learning from Birth to Adolescence” (Doubleday) by Jane M. Healy  Encouraging creativity in young children Here are some ideas: Play silly games. Ask children what figures they see in clouds or in a cookie as it disappears bite by bite? Wear a plastic tiara when you do the laundry or work in the garden. Teach brainstorming. This can be especially helpful to a self-critical child. Ask the child to think of at least 30 wild ideas for a story. Then go through the list together and decide on the four or five best ideas. Provide children with basic, open-ended toys that encourage their imagination such as blocks, modeling clay, art supplies, dress-up clothes, a magnifying glass, tool set and plastic cups to use in the bathtub. Give kids time alone—without TV. Let them do what they want—read, draw, listen to music, or simply hang out. Just as the creative adult needs to toy with ideas, children need plenty of leisure and scope to play with their toys as they like and not just as adults think is the “right way.” Don’t give a quick answer when a child asks, “What’s that?” Try asking: “What do you think?” Or you might explore the object together by touching, smelling or looking at it from various angles to determine what it is. Avoid jumping in to label what young children are drawing. “Oh, that looks like a fire engine.” Instead, comment on the colors and ask: “Do you want to tell me about your picture?” Make sure your child gets enough exercise. Research has shown that regular strenuous exercise—especially running—can strengthen a child’s creative and problem-solving abilities. Be a curious and adventurous family. Serve a new food at least once a week. Check out a new park or playground. Walk barefoot across different surfaces and talk about how they feel. Look under leaves and rocks. Provide your child with a bag or box to save acorns, shells, pretty little stones and other collectibles from nature.     Front Page Feature | Interchange | Research Review | Elder Issues | Parenting On the Job | We Recommend | A Healthy You | Home

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