Play and creativity - Robert L. Fielding
I’ll write the article soon – look out for it here and in the pages of Gulf News Notes!
For the moment, just read the quotes I am going to build my article around.
Research shows that we use the highest levels of intelligence when our imaginations are fully engaged.
What does it take to engage our imaginations? Imagination is the result of integrating sensory information such as movement, touch, hearing, sight and smell. It also comes from the simultaneous use of all parts of our brains. Learning and play are closely linked and are fundamental to human expression. As such, play is an essential component of the imagination.
http://www.beingandliving.com/article2.htm
Creativity is the freest form of self-expression and, for children, the creative process is more important than the finished product. There is nothing more fulfilling for children than to be able to express themselves freely. The ability to be creative can do much to nurture your children's emotional health. All children need to be creative is the freedom to commit themselves to the effort and make whatever activity they are doing their own.
What's important to remember in any creative activity is the process of self-expression. Creative experiences help children express and cope with their feelings. Creativity also fosters mental growth in children by providing opportunities for trying out new ideas and new ways of thinking and problem solving. Creative activities help acknowledge and celebrate the uniqueness and diversity of your children as well as offer excellent opportunities to individualize your parenting and focus on each of your children.
Opportunities for Creativity
To fulfill your children's need for creativity and self-expression, be sure to provide activities that are based on their interests. Learn how to listen closely to what your children are saying. Offer your children a range of creative materials and experiences: drawing, painting, photography, music, trips to museums or zoos, and working with clay, paper, wood, water and more. Provide your children time to explore materials and pursue their ideas. Don't forget to give them time to talk these ideas over with other people, both adults and children.
Creative Play
One of the most important types of creative activity for children is creative play. Creative play is expressed when children use familiar materials in new or unusual ways, and when children engage in role playing and imaginative play. Nothing reinforces the creative spirit and nourishes a child's soul more than providing large blocks of time to engage in spontaneous, self-directed play throughout the day. But many parents misunderstand and underestimate the value of play in the lives of children, forgetting that play fosters physical, mental, and social development. Play also helps children express and cope with their feelings. Play helps develop each child's unique perspective and individual style of creative expression. In addition, play provides an excellent opportunity for integrating and including children with disabilities.
http://www.pbs.org/wholechild/parents/play.html
In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few.
Shunryu Suzuki
I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited.
Imagination encircles the world.
Albert Einstein
A mind stretched by a new idea can never go back to its original dimensions.
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Everything that people create is a projection of what's inside them.
Stuart Lichtman
http://www.rawfoodinfo.com/articles/qte_creatorig_main.html