In schools, and amongst parents, there seems to be a very definite consensus that creativity and academia are separate concepts. Describing kids, or hearing them described, it is quite common to label them either as the creative type or as the intellectual type, and there very rarely seems to be a crossover between the two. The question we should be asking is – are creativity and intelligence mutually exclusive, or can they actually benefit one another? The association, or lack of, between creativity and academia has long been the focus of psychologists and researchers, and many believe that imagination and creativity helps to develop the type of logical and rational thought needed to understand complex theories and ideas. If you are looking for fun and exciting ways to help your child succeed at school, art and craft ideas may be just what you’re looking for.
Arts & Crafts for Logical Thinking
If you can’t quite see a clear link between arts and crafts and academia, it can be difficult to know what sorts of activities to carry out with your kids that will help them perform to the best of their ability in school. However, here are some excellent ideas that are suitable for kids of all ages:
T-Shirt Decoration
All you need for this is an old white (or light colored) T-shirt, and a wide range of crafting materials, such as odd pieces of material, glue, glitters, paints, pens, buttons, stickers, and anything else you have lying around the house. The idea is to essentially overwhelm your kids with choice, encouraging them to make decisions about the best materials they should use for their chosen T-shirt design and about the most practical colours. Being able to see the picture as a whole, take it all in, assess the choices, and narrow them down to those that would fit the situation best – these are excellent skills, not only in the classroom, but also in life!
Homemade Jigsaw Puzzles
For kids who are a little older, putting together jigsaw puzzles is a piece of cake – something they can do with their eyes closed – so why not make it a bit more challenging? Using some thick card, pens and paints, and safety scissors, ask your kids to draw or paint a design. Then, cut it up into a set number of pieces that all fit together perfectly. Then, they can put the pieces back together again – this is an excellent task for encouraging problem solving, and your kids will get a great game to add to their toy boxes at the end!
3D Sculptures
Thinking about the holidays, what is one festive decoration that you always made at school? Paper chains! They seem so simple and straightforward from an adult perspective, but when you’re a kid, they’re like magic! Using strips of colored paper, make paper chains with your kids. You can hang them from the ceilings or walls in your home. Seeing how 2D materials can be transformed into 3D artwork promotes logical information processing, and opens your kids up to a whole new way of thinking.
To give our kids the best chances, it’s just as important to promote imagination and creativity as it is to promote the sciences. Why not come up with your own ideas for fun activities you can do with your kids at home?
The above post is a guest article from Surf Excel Team.
Images Courtesy : Google Images
38 Responses
That’s a wonderful way to engage and entertain the children. I am sure these tips would help come up with varied other alternatives to encourage creativity in kids. Lovely!
That’s true. They say that engaging the children in creative works ensures higher level thinking skills, including analysis (breaking down material into component parts to understand the structure, seeing similarities and differences); synthesis (putting parts together to form a new whole, rearranging, reorganizing); and evaluation (judging the value of material based on definite criteria).
I was so bad at art and craft in school …Still am! But I agree it’s good to encourage creativity in children…
Even I was terrible at art and craft! My younger sister and mother helped me do most of my things. But yes, art and craft is a fantastic way to foster creativity in children!
Surf Excel team has come up with an innovative guest post 🙂
I think this is due to the differences in the relative strengths of left/right sides of the brain. Everyone has a different composition, and it is kept different to encourage diversity. Unfortunately, our education system focuses too much on the intellectual side and ignores the creative side. People will generally pay for this, later on in life.
Destination Infinity
Yes, it is a wonderful post from the Surf Excel Team. That’s true, our system focuses more on academics but yes there is a change in some institutions where creativity in children is encouraged and given more importance.
Lovely tips Shilpa!!
Glad you liked them Pixie. 🙂
very creative tips. Education does not mean studying only text books.For the development of the all round personality of the child these tips will prove to be very effective.
Well said, Ma’am. By exposing children to creative experiences, we give them the gift of a rich and memorable childhood while laying the foundation for a lifetime of creative expression –along with a lot of important learning skills.
I totally agree that kindling the creativity in kids is a geat way to boost their confidence and hence their studies. They feel more curious to know diff things – the mind is actually set on a roller coaster ride with crafts!
You are spot on, Uma! They say that training children in arts and music may enhance their acquisition of reading and mathematics skills!! How cool is this!!
I too believe creativity and intelligence help one another.Analytical skills, thinking skills, general problem solving capabilities, decision making – the essential results of a good education is gained only when a child is exposed to performing arts like music, dance, creative arts and crafts like the ones mentioned above and to that i would add even sports and socializing with peers. We, parents and teachers should only offer time, space, nourish, nurture and guide the children.
Absolutely!! It has been proven now that art is important for physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of a child. We must do all we can to encourage it in our children!
Oh I absolutely agree, Shilpa. I always thought I was not creative because I couldn’t draw – I’m learning otherwise in my old age.
I thought the same too, Corinne! But glad we are exploring our creative sides now 🙂
Creativity in any form brings the best out of individuals and no better way for children than some suggested here, Shilpa:)
Agree with you, Mr Bhatia! 🙂
Thanks for this Shilpa… I really liked 3D sculptures..and also got so many ideas for it on internet. 🙂
That’s correct. I was looking for images on the internet for these art and craft things and came across such vast information, tutorials and ideas. Mind blowing!!
I think not only kids some of the activities can engage adults too. nd help evolve them into more creative individuals over time.
Well said, Richa! There’s no age limit on creativity!
Great post!
With today’s kids learning more of tech gadgets than the ol regular physical books, it’s getting more to less creative thinking by our future gens… I think we still need to find more innovative ways to get them to use the space between their ears!
I like ‘get them to use the space between their ears’ 😀 Agree completely! 🙂
Unlike yesteryears the internet is now brimming with millions of ideas for crafts and creativity for kids. All one needs is initiative and patience
Oh yes, unlike earlier times, where we had to rely only on the craft books and our teachers, today there are so many resources on the internet to inspire, learn and act!
Loved this post. I’m so not good at art but I can keep the kids (and their freinds) occupied for hours doing craft. Such fun.
Oh yes, you are simply awesome at that! Love the way you keep the kids engaged! 🙂
I definitely think there is a link between creativity and academic learning. Creativity should come first. Fun and good health, physical and mental, go hand in hand. Without fun and curiosity, academic learning is rather stale and lifeless.
Lee
An A to Z Co-host blog
Absolutely! We cant look at creativity and academics separately. Creativity not only appears in music, art, or literature, but throughout the sciences and social studies fields.There are times in school and in society when we must conform, but there are also times when we need to know how to look at things differently and that’s where creativity comes onto play. Thanks for visiting this space, Arlee! 🙂
These are excellent methods of ensuring that kids have fun and develop skills at the same time!
Thanks PI 🙂
In school I was a creative child and was often reprimanded to focus on academics which was considered more ‘fruitful’.
Aah! I know, those were the days when the buzz word was academics!
Very true Shilpa, a child’s imagination should not be curbed. A creative mind copes with life’s challenges better than one constrained to academics alone.
Well said, Reshma! The link between creativity and better mental and physical health is well established by research. Creativity helps make people happier, less anxious, more resilient and better equipped to problem-solve in the face of hardship.
Over the last decades or so,mind set of the parents is actually changing and are looking at alternatives from being an engineer,doctor etc.
It is a good change
Yes, there is a considerable shift in our attitudes and parents are encouraging children to opt for different professions and streams!