Session 2

Session 2: Creative Development

Inquiry 3: The Role of the Child Care Providers in Children’s Creative Development

The process of creating, rather than the end product, is the most important part of young children’s creative experiences. Follow the practices listed below to help keep the focus on the process of creating:

• Provide children with a variety of materials that allow for self-expression. For example, provide various kinds of writing materials (e.g., markers and crayons), props such as dress-up clothes, or large empty boxes.
  
  
• Provide a variety of play materials but not so many that the children feel overwhelmed.
  
  
• Plan long periods of uninterrupted playtime so that the children can explore materials and use them in new and inventive ways.
  
  
• Provide open-ended experiences in which children select the materials they wish to use, and allow the children to decide how to safely use the materials.

• Ask children open-ended questions that require imaginative and unique responses. Questions should have many possible answers. For example, rather than asking, “What did you make?” say, “Could you tell me about your picture?”