Art Activities that can Increase a Child’s Creativity
There are numerous art activities that can be used as a means of increasing creativity in a child and drawing and story telling is one of them. A story telling session can be made interactive and exciting by posing questions and elaborating descriptions and pictorial presentation of events; afterwhich children can be told to draw any part of the story. Through story telling children make use of their imagination, learn about different experiences and it also helps increase their vocabulary and improve their expressions. Another form of story telling is drama and role play where children learn to play with each other and imitate and recreate performances. Through these performances children express the way they see the world and the roles and actions they attach to different characters like those of mothers who pose to care for the baby while the fathers goes out to work. These experiences can add maturity in the way children perceive and express themselves in paintings, drawings and other art projects.

Painting can be made interesting and educational by making use of real life objects, sceneries and events. For instance, children can be asked to identify different fruits, vegetables and places etc, and then asked to draw or paint them. This exercise will increase their knowledge and awareness about the different aspects of life and be entertaining at the same time.

Art activities can make use of building blocks and paper cups where children can be asked to design their own structures and buildings. They can be given pictures of city buildings as well as small village huts to help them reproduce them or create there own designs. Such art projects can be entertaining and useful for children of all ages and can also develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. For younger children, just learning how to stack these cups will help them develop hand-eye coordination while older children will be able to learn more advanced skills through matching them up based on symmetry, color or sizes.

For art projects teachers can also make use of other materials like clay or paper and teach children how to create basic objects by following easy instructions. Perhaps they can be asked to create any item of their choice and use their creativity and imagination to come up with their own choice of object. They can also be allowed to decorate what they make with glitter and colors.

Besides experimenting with materials, children should also be given a choice of tools to create their own mater pieces. These can range from crayons, color pencils, paint brushes to scissors, glue, tape and strings. Thus the more materials they are introduced to the more creative the outcome will be. Art activities can include making objects they can hang on walls or float on water.

Another exciting way to learn though art and increase creativity can be done by incorporating educational information in art projects, for instance, discussing history, geography and other subjects, by presenting pictures or giving a short informative presentation on the pyramids, mughal civilization or river formation. These sessions can be followed by art projects of making objects relevant to the session, which will help increase a child’s knowledge and imagination. The whole class can be involved in creating parts or the larger picture like a scene of how the pyramids were built or creating the route of rivers from the mountains to the sea; where every child will be responsible of just a manageable bit of the project.

Overall, art is not a means of distracting a child or passing time; it has a purpose of its own-it plays a vital role especially during the early years of a child. It aids child growth, exposing them to a way of experiencing the world no text book can match. Children learn much faster, they get a chance to make independent decisions, they learn to work with others and most of all they acquire essential skills of imagination and creativity.

Did You Know?
The arts teach children to be more tolerant and open.

The arts allow children to express themselves creatively.

The arts promote individuality, bolster self-confidence, and improve overall academic performance.

The arts can help troubled youth, providing an alternative to delinquent behavior and truancy while providing an improved attitude towards school.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Hafsa is a LUMS graduate and currently works for Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) in the RCC: ECD Programme.