There is a myth that creativity is an inborn skill and cannot be instilled in a child easily. But you will be surprised to know that every child has oodles of creativity inside them and it is just a matter of giving them the right platform and environment to spark this skill.
Kids have a naturally vivid imagination and their creative energy levels are exceptionally high, therefore it is only a matter of time when they will unleash it, provided we give them the right tools and the necessary encouragement.
Creative expression aids in emotional development, self-awareness ,physical development and social development. Creative activities like singing, drawing, dancing, etc. are extremely satisfying to a child’s emotional needs and gives them the confidence and the enthusiasm to embrace all the wonderful things life has to offer.
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Top tips by International schools in Tokyo to encourage creativity in children
Music
We are well aware that music is an intrinsic part of every child’s life. They grow up listening to rhymes, poems and children’s songs by singing along and enacting to match the words they hear. Parents often sing to their children and this is one of the healthiest ways to introduce the concept of music to young children. Parents can even play music games where children learn to move and shake by following a set of simple rules and these are great for improving concentration and attention span in children.
Painting
Painting is a pure form of self expression. It comes with practice and repetition. Children have their own unique perceptions of the world around them and it is important to give them space to explore this skill in a non judgemental environment. Painting is a great platform for children to express their emotions, use their memory, explore different colours and convey their ideas on to a paper. Parents can guide children on how to mix paints, use the right kind of brushes and teach them how to dry their sheets once done.
Dance
Dance is a great form of exercise for children and helps expend their excess energies and calms them down to a great extent. An enthusiastic parent should make sure that they play feet tapping dance numbers and encourage children to dance and move to the rhythm. It also improves their gross motor skills and helps build flexibility. You can use ribbons, bonbons and balloons to make the activity more fun and exciting.
Craft
Montesssori schools in Tokyo believe that craft is one of the best ways to help children improve their fine motor skills which aids in improving their writing and drawing skills too. Parents can provide child friendly scissors and help children cut paper which is one of the best exercises to improve the grasp and grip of their fingers. When children spend time in creating and building new things, they feel a sense of achievement and this also bolsters their beliefs in their own abilities.
Story-telling
Story-telling is another great form of expression that helps children in sequencing their thought process and helps in improving their pronunciation skills. Children should be encouraged to tell stories of their choice in order to help improve their communication skills and vocabulary skills. Parents should take an active role in telling stories to children too. This enables to improve the child’s listening skills and imagination. You can also sharpen their memory by asking questions once you have narrated the story.
Drama
Leading international school in Tokyo, like GIIS, have Drama as a co-curricular activity. This form of expression is another great way to self-regulate their feelings and channel their emotions in the right direction. Dramatic play can be a fun activity that helps the child in controlling his impulses and learning to navigate his thoughts and feelings positively. To Increase, extracurricular activities among children so that students can follow their passion as well along with their regular studies, GIIS Tokyo has set up a Summer Classes programme in which they focus on many activities like Role Playing, etc.
Creative Outdoor Games
Outdoor games are one of the best ways to boost a child’s stamina and general fitness levels.
Spending time outdoors helps children observe the environment around them and gives them a chance to explore the greenery around them. It is a great way to improve the mental and physical health of a child and this leads to better creative imagination.
Cooking without Fire and baking together
This can be a great bonding activity between the parent and the child. Cooking improves their fine motor skills to a large extent and instils the importance of teamwork in a child. Children can use their imagination to pick and choose from different ingredients to create a new dish. The idea that they can take part in these parent activities gives them self-confidence.
Reading
Reading is extremely important for preschool children to improve their literacy skills and cognitive thinking skills. All children should be provided with age appropriate books and comics to encourage a healthy reading habit. Reading can also help children improve their academic skills at a faster pace and makes transition to higher classes very easy. They also learn morals and ethics from different stories and this helps develop awareness, ethics and social skills in a child
These are some habits you can inculcate in your child’s formative learning stages. Montessori schools in Tokyo believe that every child has a unique gift and in order to hone them, parents and teachers should play an active role by providing them the necessary tools and spaces to explore their creative streaks.
Some of the best International schools in Tokyo understand the need for all-round development in children and emphasize on adapting to modern methods of teaching which are child-centric in nature. Creativity is a very crucial developmental necessity and parents find time to indulge with their children in these activities.
