Summer camps are not just fun or for building memories for lifetime but also provide a creative interface to children. Most creative stimulation for children happens when they are given freedom to express and encouraged to bring our their imagination. And summer camps are the best place where kids gets thoroughly positive enforcement. Structured programs and continuous support help kids at creative summer camps to bring out their own passions in richest ways possible.
How to develop children’s creativity
Creativity can be fostered effectively by parental and other help from factors around. Right experiences enrich creative competence of an individual. Children learn the skills in right ways when left to explore. Some methods to develop creativity and imagination in children are:
1- Give them the right resources needed at every stage:
Giving them the right set of surroundings and resources which are ideal for their age makes them explore their own creative sides in utmost diligent ways.
2- Unstructured and free play times:
It is very important that kids get ample free time and play time. Their creativity and imagination will boost when they get ample time to enjoy free play. Do not hover around them and allow them to make decisions
3- Allow immense creativity with everything possible:
The more kids get space and opportunity to explore their creative self’s the better it becomes for their all round development. Let the children explore their surroundings in utmost free ways and generate new ideas
4- Stop being the decider and let kids make choices:
For kids to be creative and expressive they must be allowed to be themselves, constraining them within boundaries and limits would just end up in controlling their flexibilities and cutting their flying imaginations
5- Encourage reading and art:
Reading and art are the most creative of the spheres for children. The more they indulge in these activities the better their creativity becomes
6- Allow kids to express divergent thoughts:
Give them problems and let them brainstorm to come to different conclusions.
7- Don’t reward children too much:
Rewarding too much also interferes with their creativity so let them get appreciation but not overboard.
How summer camps help children in exploring their creativity:
Summer camps are just the right place where creativity of a child reaches as altogether different level. Summer camps allow for freedom and independence from handholding or helicopter parenting. Some benefits of creative summer camps include:
1- Immense opportunities for creating:
Summer camps are all about allowing kids to bring out their creative sides, specially at art or literary summer camps. Given the opportunities and the space, kids can transform their energies into more and more imaginative and creative outputs without having to worry about the parents
2- Summer camps are structured in a way that psychologically helps in creative expression:
More and more free times are put for children to begin brushing their creative acumen. The children learn to explore their own thoughts and passions and drive them into ways they deem perfect
3- Allows freedom to expression:
Children are free to express and discuss their minds. With counselors and fellow campers around it gets easier to have elaborate and creative discussions.This also enriches their creative acumen
4- Summer camps instill critical thinking:
In addition to creative stimulation summer camps also help in creative thinking for children. This also helps n building further skills like problem solving and decision making
5- Summer camps help in activating senses of children:
In ways unimaginable summer camps can activate the senses of children. Giving them exposure to various essential and survival skills, more hands on experiences to shape their creativity
6- No controlling or managing the kids:
Summer camps only provide safety parameters and let the kids express freely. Their freedom is the main reason why summer camps ooze creative learning in kids
Some activities to help kids become creative:
Creativity can be encouraged in kids, and it is a skill which is more acquired than from birth. The environments and external factors have an important role in designing creativity of kids. Some activities which can be given to kids for encouraging their creativity:
1- Building and construction toys:
Lego, tinkertoy, blocks and more such can be provided to children regularly for creative construction. Kids start imagining shapes, dimensions and sizes to think out of box and far and beyond.
2- Pretend play must be included for their activities:
Pretend play and make believe toys are the most creative things a child can learn from. To act someone else makes them think in the directions they only imagined so far. It builds their understanding and learning of how things work.
3- Story time:
Reading out to kids is extremely important from every aspect. Not just creativity but also language skills and imagination. Reading is one habit that takes them far and long
4- Introduce world, planets and stars:
Providing the information on maps, world around us and the space not only gives them creativity and imagination but also improves their awareness
5- Allow them to speak:
Regular habit of speaking on any given situation or topic, makes them confident and creative. Telling stories improves their imagination and instills creative thinking.
6- Give them a camera:
Giving a camera is definitely the most interesting addition to their creative skills. The more children learn to capture the beautiful things around, the better learning it brings to them about life and around
7- Bilingual kids are more creative:
Kids who are raised with 2 more more languages as primary, get to learn more creative and innovative ways to express themselves. It also improves their insights into cultures and language
8- Open ended questions:
Give open ended questions to your children and allow them to express in most independent ways.
9- Play with your child:
The more are the family times, or board game nights the better creative learning it brings to the children.
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By Minu Manisha
