Support the creativity of children and young people free essay sample

This means helping children to be creative by showing them and joining in with what they are doing. Some children learn best by observing others and then doing the same. This can benefit children because they will build good relationships with adults and peers if they work in a group. They will be spending time with someone who they trust and are comfortable with. 1. 2 Identify the potential benefits of different types of creative activity There are many benefits of creative activity for children and this can differ with the different types of creativity. One benefit is that most of the time a creative activity can help children with other areas of their development. For example creative movement allows children to express themselves and let off steam if they need to and children are also developing their gross motor skills, balance and co-ordination. Music can help children to gain confidence and an also help them to work together. We will write a custom essay sample on Support the creativity of children and young people or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Singing and playing instruments can help children to communicate and can also help their speech. Being creative can also help a child’s self-esteem. This is because they will feel pride and achievement in the finished product of their creative activity. Their intellectual development will benefit because they are problem solving and discovering how things work. It is important to praise children when they solve a problem or create something so that they realise that they have done something brilliant and can do it again. 1. 3 Explain the difference between formal and informal creative activity Formal creativity is a more regulated and specific type of creative activity with an outcome aim. This type of creativity is usually a planned adult lead activity in which the children can learn from adults. Formal creativity could also include different types of art groups such as drama or dance classes. Informal creativity is more about the individual’s own interpretations and ideas. Children will do this by themselves, learning by trying out different things. Giving a child a piece of paper and some pens and leaving them to draw what they like would be an informal creativity activity. Explain the importance of encouraging children and young people to recognise and value creativity It is important to encourage children to recognise and value creativity because if they don’t they will not be able to retrieve the benefits that creativity could have on all areas of learning. Children can gain so much from being creative so adults should make sure that children are being provided with fun and challenging activities that they will enjoy taking part in. adults should be good creative role models so that children recognise that you are valuing creativity and this can then hep them to do the same. Creating something and solving problems can boost a child’s self-esteem and confidence and praising children for their good work can help them to value creativity as they feel good about themselves and want to achieve this feeling again and again. Adults should spend plenty of creative time with children, show them what it is to be creative and help them to value it in order for children to enjoy being creative and use it to develop in as many areas as possible. Identify potential resources to support children and young people to take  part in organised creative activities There are many different types of creative activities and therefore are many different resources that can be used to support children’s creativity. For example a dancing activity may require music, floor space and props such as ribbons or hoops. These resources can help to encourage children to take part because they are attractive and children can become intrigued and interested. The children may also enjoy being musically creative and using musical instruments which also look attractive and colourful. The children may be curious and keen to explore them and discover what they do and how many different sounds they can make with them. There are many different resources that the children could use for an art activity. The children may enjoy seeing the resources that are available and choosing what they would like to use. It is important that carers provide a range of different materials that look and feel different as this encourages the children to explore them. A child may want to use paint but explore different ways of using it such as using their hands or using a brush or sponge and the child should have these opportunities. Carers should also ensure that resources for creative activities are adapted to fit the child’s needs for example, different sized paint brushes for different aged children, safety scissors for younger children and specially adapted equipment for children with special needs. Practitioners should always make sure that the resources give every child the opportunity to take part. 3. 3 Explain the importance of encouraging carers to support children and young people’s creative activities Children need encouragement from adults in order to be able to explore creatively. They need to feel that the adult is allowing them to do this and so a positive emotional environment is vital. Staff members need to make sure that they allow the children to get messy, make links and make their own decisions. Staff members who become anxious when children make a mess will make the children feel as though they cannot be creative and explore as they would like to. It is also important for adults to be good creative role models. Children often learn from the observation of adults and will benefit from seeing adults being creative and joining in with creative activities. They will also benefit from seeing positive attitudes towards creativity. Using positive language and having a ‘can do’ attitude towards creativity can help the children to think in the same way. Explain the importance of spending creative time with children and young people and the benefits that can result it is important that we allow lots of creative time for children as they have much to gain from being creative. It is not beneficial for children to be given short periods of time to be creative as this can make them feel stressed or under pressure and can give them confidence problems. Spending creative time with children enables them to focus and persevere with an activity or a problem and prevents them from becoming frustrated or fed up. This is because they have plenty of time to think, explore and imagine. Being creative also heps children to try out new things and gain new skills and explore concepts which can lead to children working at a higher level. It can also be good for children to come back to something that they have done before as they will be given the opportunity to add to their work or try a new approach once they have been given some time to think about the problem. Another benefit from spending creative time with children is the pride they feel in their achievements and the self-esteem they can gain from this.