How To Enhance Creativity In Children

A TRUE STORY: I led a three hour creativity session for two combined classes of second graders in a local school. After we formed small groups, I asked them to choose a recorder to do non-evaluative listing, and something unique happened. Everyone who could write wanted to be the recorder (with adults, the opposite usually happens).

So I asked them to non-evaluatively list ways to pick a recorder, select the way they wanted to use, and use it.

A second surprise occurred: each team used a different, unexpected method to choose the recorder. One group chose the fastest runner, another chose the best writer on the easel, and a third chose the person who could draw the best. A fourth tossed a coin, while another used “one potato, 2 potato.” A startling display of creativity. None chose or suggested voting.

Then I asked them to non-evaluatively list ways to do some additional things involving problem solving. At the end, we all sat in a large circle on the floor. I asked them to go around the circle and tell what they had learned.

One girl said it best: “It’s better to make lists than fight.”

(Note: The average slump in creativity of children is thought to occur in the fourth grade.)

Fostering Creativity In Children

This topic would fill many books, so this column will remain a reminder for future endeavor. Still, we can cull my previous columns and my books to find creativity triggers that children can effectively learn and use, and ways adults can respond to foster children’s creativity.

Role Model What You Want To Teach

Children learn in all sorts of ways. One of them that works well involves role modeling, that is, doing creative efforts together. So teach them one on one, or form a group. Your child’s desires must be taken into account.

FORCED COMBINATION: To start with, we can teach children to combine thoughts, and produce new and useful ideas.

ALTERNATIVES: We can stress the importance of seeking many alternatives when solving problems.

CREATIVITY TRIGGERS: We can teach and use many of the creativity triggers found in my book, especially brainstorming and brainwriting. This includes some of the creativity triggers used in the problem-solving ladder.

NEGOTIATION: Teach children that ‘it is better to make list than fight.’

WARMUPS: Children love warmups. It’s what they would do all day, if they had their way.

RESPONDING TO YOUR CHILD’S IDEAS: Using the responses to hearing an idea, yes-if, what’s good about it, and pretending ideas come from your boss, will create a creative climate and encourage children to share their ideas with you. You do have 100% responsibility for the creative climate of your child.

A good book about active listening: “Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T.)” by T. Gordon (1970).

CREATIVITY FOLDER: Keep a folder of your child’s creative ideas and make a game reviewing its contents now and then. Young children benefit from having their creative thoughts recorded and kept by an adult.

ANTI-CREATIVITY FORCE: At the very least, avoid and repel the anti-creativity forces, and champion the use of creativity triggers.

OUTREACH: Form a creativity club that kids will love to join.

MOTIVATION: As with adults, children who engage in creative effort for their own enjoyment, their internal motivation, produce the most creative outcomes. Those who respond to win external praise or other external rewards (money, candy, etc.), produce less creative outcomes. Research has shown detrimental effects on children’s creativity by competition, promised and expected rewards, external evaluation, extrinsic motivation, lack of choice, etc.

In contrast, creativity was higher when the opposite conditions existed: lack of competition, no external rewards, no external evaluation, intrinsic motivation, lots of choice how and what to do, and self-direction.

Immunize your children against the lure of external rewards that lower creativity by discussing internal motivators with them. Make them aware of how good it feels to be self-directed and free of external control.

Recommended Books:

The topic of fostering your child’s creativity so they will be creative throughout life goes far beyond the resources of this column. Still, you must pursue it for the sake of your child.

I recommend the following books:

“Growing Up Creative:” by Teresa Amabile (1989).

“Nurturing Creative Children” by Dr. Yew Kam Keong

“Parent Effectiveness Training (P.E.T.) by Thomas Gordon (1970).

“Teaching Creativity: Supporting, Valuing, and Inspiring Young Children’s Creative Thinking.” By Abby Connors

And checkout my book:

 “CREATIVITY TRIGGERS ARE FOR EVERYONE: 

How To Use Your Inventiveness To Brighten Your Life.” 

CLICK here OR HERE.

©2017 by Ed Glassman

ABOUT THIS AUTHOR

Ed Glassman, Professor Emeritus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, founded the Program For Team Excellence And Creativity at the university. He led scores of problem-solving creativity meetings and creative thinking workshops-seminars for many large and small companies. He was a ‘Guggenheim Foundation Fellow’ at Stanford University, a ‘Visiting Fellow’ at the ‘Center For Creative Leadership’ in Greensboro, NC, a Visiting Professor at the University Of California at Irvine, and a Visiting Scientist at SRI International in Palo Alto, California.

His book: “Team Creativity At Work I & II: Creative Problem Solving At Its Best,” is available: CLICK here OR HERE.

Another book of his: “R&D CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION HANDBOOK: A Practical Guide To Improve Creative Thinking and Innovation Success At Work” is also available.   CLICK here  OR HERE