Session 2

Session 2: Creative Development

 

Inquiry 2: Environments That Promote Play

 

To encourage creative development, the environment must allow children to exercise and use their creative abilities. While there may not always be a recognizable end product to show parents at the end of each day, the children will be developing their own ways of expressing themselves that reflect their personal thoughts and feelings. The ability to engage in the creative process also has a positive influence on all other areas of development (social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and language). Always remember that the process is more important than the end product.

 

Environments that promote creativity have the following features:

• They provide children access to a large variety of materials appropriate to the child’s age.

• They give children lots of time to experiment with a variety of materials (e.g., water, sand, paint) so that they have a chance to explore materials in depth and progress through the stages of creative development.

• They have clearly organized areas so children know where they can engage in different types of creative activities.

• They provide plenty of open space so that children are not interfered with or disrupted and can move easily from one activity to another.

• They provide well-organized, labelled materials that are easily visible and attractively displayed on shelves that are accessible to the children. Children have the freedom to choose their own materials.

• They display children’s work.

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