Creativity and imagination are two building blocks of a child’s cognitive and social development. Allowing a child to experiment in their early years will enable them to explore various options and develop critical and divergent thinking skills. It could also help instil self-confidence and promote their emotional well-being.
With the numerous benefits of fostering imagination, it is no surprise that many parents are constantly looking for ways to encourage creativity in their children. Here are five engaging ways you can nurture your child’s imagination.
1. Arts and craft activities
Art is one of the only lessons not centred around following instructions. In fact, it is a form of imaginative expression. Activities such as painting, drawing and clay sculpting are a platform for children to learn to make decisions. Children would be able to work through their thoughts and use these activities as a tool to express themselves. Typically, these activities also require hand-eye coordination, which could immensely improve children’s fine motor skills and concentration.
2. Read and tell stories
It is no secret that reading is one of the best ways to foster imagination from a young age. Reading allows children to expand on their knowledge, learn new things and teaches them to be open to new ideas. Regularly reading to your child helps with their imagination as it allows them to picture the specific scenes narrated in their head.
Apart from reading storybooks, it can be worthwhile to invent your own stories with your child. This could be in the form of tweaking the ending of a story or discussing other possible scenarios. Allow them to see how you can make things up as you go along – there is no right or wrong answer, and imagination can lead you just about anywhere!
3. Ask open-ended questions
While this may seem simple, asking questions that provoke your child’s creative thinking daily is one of the most effective ways to nurture their imagination. In your regular conversations, invite your child to express their thoughts and ideas instead of asking questions that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no”. For instance, instead of asking, “did you enjoy school today?” you could tweak the question to ask, “tell me about your day today”, or “what is something that made you happy today?”. Open-ended questions tap into a child’s imagination, independent thinking, and memory.
4. Unstructured play
Unstructured play provides children with the freedom to create, discover and explore without any predetermined guidelines. Sometimes, when we intervene to correct or supervise what children are doing, it may feel deflating for the child. While the intention is to help them, it is sometimes better to allow children to figure things out for themselves. When there are no rules, children develop creative skills as they have to come up with solutions independently. Even if the results turn out messy, unstructured play allows children to go on a journey of discovery and excitement.
5. Spend time outdoors
The benefits of spending time outdoors for children are endless. Being outdoors provides countless opportunities for problem solving, creativity and discovery. The open spaces inspire children to think, ask questions and develop creative minds. Outdoor activities encourage children to think outside the box and generate creative ideas by exploring various possible solutions.
Conclusion
Apart from your own efforts at home, it is imperative to search for a preschool that offers a holistic experiential learning curriculum. After all, your child would be spending most of their time in school!
Viv’s Schoolhouse is an international preschool and childcare in Singapore that offers an award-winning curriculum. Our comprehensive curriculum boasts of an experiential learning approach that strives to engage all five senses of our children as much as possible. Additionally, we believe strongly in fostering our children’s creativity through activities such as daily craftwork, gardening, speech and drama classes for children and even monthly field trips.
Contact us today for more information.