Play and creativity are developmentally essential for kids. Child experts agree that kids need lots of opportunities for unstructured play in their lives because this is how they learn to navigate the world and work things out on their own by establishing mastery. Creativity is key for innovation and problem solving is a skill children need to develop to be successful in life and essential for the growth of society.
The reality is, as Bob Ditter, a well known child, and adolescent therapist points out; “There is no time and no room in the “race to the top” for creative thinking and experientially based learning forms have become increasingly scarce in public schools. Everyone is too busy boosting test scores.”
Peter Gray, Ph.D., research professor at Boston College, and expert on childhood play has some findings which demonstrate the importance of developing children’s creativity and the need for environments that stimulate this process. “Creativity is nurtured by freedom and stifled by the continuous monitoring, evaluation, adult-direction, and pressure to conform that restrict children’s lives today.”
Dr Gray continues to add “In the real world few questions have the right answer, few problems have one right solution; that’s why creativity is crucial to success in the real world. But more and more we are subjecting children to an educational system that assumes one right answer to every question and one correct solution to every problem, a system that punishes children (and their teachers too) for daring to try different routes.
The camp environment provides lots of opportunities for children to build their creativity through play, experimental learning and problem solving through activities like art, crafts, music, drama, skits, dramatic play and games. Here at camp projects are student driven, campers are encouraged to use their ideas to create pieces on their own. Creativity flourishes at camp as counselors encourage children to think for themselves and make their own contributions to develop new unique projects. It is also really wonderful when children can create their own props and costumes and use these for creative play.
All of this experience helps teach children to be both resourceful and creative thinkers as well as reinforces the idea that you don’t have to buy everything from a store. In a school year dominated by long periods inside the classroom and short periods of recess it is always great to see kids have the time to explore, relax and have some fun during the summer break. All the hands on skill based learning, group play and time to try something completely new really does help campers to get their creative juices flowing.
As parents it is critical that we find environments that inspire our children’s creativity and make it a priority in the education of the whole child as we look for ways to build the next generation of innovators and future leaders.
For some more thoughts about the importance of finding time for creativity and free play to benefit the well being of children see these great pieces by the highly regarded child and family therapist Bob Ditter and Boston Colege Research professor Peter Gray.
For more fun things to do this fall to inspire your childs creativity see our Roughing It News blog craft posts.
