10.7: Promoting Creativity in Middle Childhood
- Page ID
- 255044
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Children in the school-age years (approximately 6 to 12 years old) are naturally curious and increasingly capable of expressing themselves in more sophisticated ways. As professionals, it is important to create environments that nurture and expand their creative thinking.
Provide Time, Space, and Materials
Creativity flourishes when children have unhurried time and flexible spaces to engage in imaginative activities. While school-age children often have structured schedules, it is essential to preserve opportunities for open-ended exploration.
- Unstructured time allows children to experiment, build, draw, write, or pretend without a prescribed goal.
- Flexible spaces—such as a classroom creativity corner, a home craft area, or an outdoor play zone—invite children to explore ideas at their own pace.
- Avoid overscheduling. Allow children to experience “boredom” as a gateway to generating their own ideas and activities. Additionally, 4-H clubs offer a great opportunity to explore interests and access a variety of materials.
Children need access to a wide range of materials to create, experiment, and express ideas in different forms. These do not have to be expensive or specialized.
- Include open-ended materials such as blocks, clay, markers, cardboard, natural materials, musical instruments, and costume pieces.
- Encourage re-purposing and combining materials in new ways. For example, a paper towel roll can be transformed into a telescope, a megaphone, or a puppet's part.
- Support children’s ideas by offering supplies that match their interests (e.g., a child interested in fashion design might use fabric scraps and sewing tools).
What Does This Look Like in the Classroom or At Home?
In a classroom, a professional might set up a “makerspace” with rotating materials and leave time each week for invention projects. At home, a caregiver might keep a basket of craft supplies in reach and invite the child to create something new after school. In both cases, the key is not the outcome, but the encouragement to try, explore, and imagine.
Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\). Makerspaces are a popular option to encourage creativity in middle childhood. Image by Stadtbibliothek Neuss is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supporting through Interactions
The same principles of supporting children through interactions apply to those in middle childhood: use specific and positive reinforcement, avoid comparing children's work to others, focus on the process, and normalize mistakes by treating them as learning opportunities. Statements like, "That didn't work-- what else could you try?" keep children engaged and motivated.