Adults and Kids Inspire Each Other

Maya Angelou: "You Can't Use Up Creativity"

  “Imagination is everything.  It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” Albert Einstein
  “You can’t use up creativity.  The more you use, the more you have.” Maya Angelou
  Creativity or divergent thinking is thinking about something in a new way. Children do this when they receive a little Lego kit and change the directions slightly or dig into their bins of Legos and engage their brains to create something new and marvelous. Many libraries have free Lego days families can attend.
  When children have the opportunity to do divergent thinking, they break down problems into parts, think in a new way, and develop their brains. Researchers have found these children also have a more positive mood and higher proficiency in language and math.
Let’s Imagine
   Play a few free creativity games. During quiet times help children retrieve information from memory, compare and contrast, and make connections between bits of information.
   If they were going on a trip to a real or imaginary place what would they take? How is playing in the summer different than during the winter, spring, or fall? How is life different for animals?
  Help kids imagine they are little mice exploring your home. Where would they go first?

How Is Life Different for Animals?

What toys might they like to explore? What if the kids were flies on the ceiling for a day? What would they see from that perspective?
  Give children three objects from the kitchen. If they had to give one back, why would they keep the other two? How many things can children do with three old ties or other objects? Can ties become seat belts for an imaginary plane trip? Can they be snakes? What can you make with three paper towel rolls or three boxes?
Creative Building
 Children may create an indoor fort

Use Brightly Colored Materials and Create

with cushions and blankets. Have a picnic with food, flashlights, stuffed animals, and books.
  This next one requires a little more work and planning, but children love to make robots out of plastic and paper recyclables. Under supervision they can connect pieces with duct tape or a glue gun. Children’s Museums often have creative robot corners and are worth a visit.
  When you think children are ready, they can hammer nails in a log you have brought in.  They can make designs with the hammered nails and add some poster paint for a beautiful sculpture.  They can also hammer the nails different heights to make interesting designs and use different colored markers on the nail heads. Then they can pull out the nails with help if they leave about an inch to wiggle in the hammer.
Children may like to create cars, houses, even a whole village from boxes, tape, papers and markers.
Photos: Fran Darling: fdarling fotos
Maya Angelou: York College ISLGP posted to Flickr.com, uploaded to Commons
More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio, 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest