Nurturing Your Child’s Creative Imagination

Children have such active imaginations! Their young minds are teeming with so many questions and creative ideas. It is this curiosity and creativity that bolsters their intellectual and emotional development. As a parent it is important you do everything in your power to encourage your child’s imagination and creativity. Don’t let it be lost in the overload of schoolwork and studying. Here are a few creative activities (which all the children at Sherwood High are encouraged to take part in) you can get them involved in to help develop their creativity and encourage their thirst for knowledge.

Arts and Crafts – Give your child chart paper, paper plates, cups, empty cartons, colourful gift wrappers, craft sticks etc and let them create objects using their imagination. Guide or help them on the technical aspects but let the idea and execution be entirely theirs. You’ll be surprised at the innovative ideas they come up with.

If your child loves to paint, hand them sheets of paper (you can use the reverse side of old printed A4 sheets to avoid wastage) and a paint set and let them create works of art.

Set up a section of your child’s room with the necessary protective covers and let them use it as their arts and crafts area. Make it clear that they can’t use other rooms of the house for this purpose, in this way you ensure your child’s artistic ability is given free reign while also keeping your home clutter-free.

However, to ensure that your child’s artistic talent never fades away, it is crucial that it continues to be nurtured even beyond the boundaries of your home. At Sherwood High, we wholeheartedly take over the responsibility of continuing to give your child (and every other child) the encouragement and training to stay connected to their artistic side. The integrated artwork program at our school includes various activities like painting, carving, board work, wood blocking etc. Frequent exhibitions are also organised where they can showcase their talent.

Storytelling – The Sherwood High library is filled with books ranging from classical literature to the latest bestseller for young readers. While encouraging children to read, we also focus on their holistic development by getting them actively involved in public speaking, drama, storytelling, creative writing and other activities via our Literary Club.

These activities work wonders in sparking a child’s imagination, so go ahead and pick a story from any of their books and get them to change the ending. They could also think up an entirely new storyline with the same characters. They could even enact their story using props they create in their arts and crafts corner. These are just a few of the ways to keep their spark of imagination alive.

Encourage Questions – We would like you to follow the Sherwood High model, i.e. when your child asks you a question don’t give them the answer straight away (encourage them to use their reasoning skills). For example, if your child asks you ‘Why is the sky blue?’ turn it into a fun game by first giving various options and then asking them ‘So which of these do you think is the reason the sky is blue?’  This will get them thinking. You can also increase the fun quotient by asking them to come up with their own reasons. You could get some hilarious and surprisingly insightful answers!

Nature Walks – Spending time in the midst of nature is an amazing way to develop your child’s creativity. Ask them what the shapes of the trees, shrubs and clouds remind them of. Get them to collect samples of different leaves and flowers to add to their art collection. Again the options to spark their imagination are endless.

At Sherwood High, frequent field trips are organised with this very purpose in mind. During these trips children get to enjoy the practical application of various concepts taught in the classroom. In addition to this academic learning our field trips also include fun based activities which are so essential for a child’s social-emotional development.

On a final note, the important point to keep in mind while organising these creative activities at home is to always appreciate your child’s efforts, for it is your encouragement that will give them the confidence in their own creative abilities and unique talents.