Day 16: Creativity Across the Curriculum

On my final day, I co-facilitated a puppet-making workshop. Children designed their own characters using socks, buttons, and wool. Afterwards, they performed puppet shows in pairs, which enhanced storytelling skills, creativity, and social interactions. I also contributed to a display that showcased children’s artwork from throughout the week. This experience reinforced my understanding of how creativity is not confined to one subject but can be integrated into every learning area.

What creative activities spark the most joy and learning in your little tackers?

Storytelling and Role Play

Role play is a fun way to spark learning and joy. It encourages children to use their imagination and practice social skills, as well as explore different perspectives (OpenAI, 2023).

Example: Puppet Shows and Dress-up Play

I set up a small puppet theater or a dress-up corner with costumes, props, and puppets. The children enjoy creating stories, taking on different roles, and acting out scenes with their peers. This helps with their social-emotional development, language skills, and creativity.

Learning Outcomes: Social-emotional development, language and communication, imaginative play, problem-solving.

How do I weave creativity into different learning areas like maths, story time, or even outdoor play?

Math: Creative Problem-Solving and Visual Exploration

Math doesn’t always have to be about numbers on paper—it can be hands-on and creative. I use playful approaches to teach mathematical concepts like shapes, patterns, measurements, and counting (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, 2009). 

Example: Shape Hunt and Pattern Building

  • What I do: I set up an outdoor or indoor "shape hunt" where children look for different shapes in their environment (circle, square, triangle). After identifying the shapes, we use blocks, colored paper, or even playdough to create their own patterns or structures.

  • How it fosters creativity: This helps them visualize abstract concepts like shapes and patterns while also using their hands and imagination to create something. It gives them a deeper understanding of math concepts and keeps them engaged (Wood, 2013). 

  • Learning Outcomes: Problem-solving, spatial awareness, fine motor skills, pattern recognition.

Example: Cooking for Math

  • What I do: I might involve children in a simple recipe where they measure ingredients, count items, or divide portions. For instance, making a fruit salad can be an opportunity to discuss fractions and measurements.

  • How it fosters creativity: Cooking allows children to see math in real-life scenarios and experiment with quantities, while also fostering teamwork and creativity through presentation and decoration of the food (OpenAI, 2023).

  • Learning Outcomes: Counting, measurement, teamwork, sensory exploration.

 Story Time: Imagination and Creativity in Language

Story time is a great opportunity to infuse creativity, allowing children to explore language, narrative structures, and imaginative ideas (Berk, 2013). Creativity can be woven into the storytelling process in a variety of ways.

Example: Interactive Storytelling with Props

  • What I do: I use props, puppets, or costumes related to the story to make it interactive. Sometimes, I let the children take on roles or add their ideas to the plot. For example, if we’re reading a story about animals, they can act out the sounds or movements of the animals.

  • How it fosters creativity: This lets children step into the story, sparking their imagination and building narrative skills as they create their own versions of the story or invent new endings.

  • Learning Outcomes: Language development, creativity, social-emotional skills, imagination.

Example: Story Creation with Drawing

  • What I do: After reading a story, I encourage the children to draw their own version of the story’s characters or scenes. They can also come up with alternative endings or create a new story inspired by the one we read.

  • How it fosters creativity: By drawing their ideas, children not only express themselves creatively but also work on their fine motor skills, comprehension, and visual literacy (Bodrova & Leong, 2007).

  • Learning Outcomes: Artistic expression, comprehension, fine motor skills, storytelling.

3. Outdoor Play: Exploring Nature Through Creative Play

Outdoor play provides limitless opportunities for creativity. Nature itself is a dynamic, ever-changing backdrop that stimulates curiosity and imaginative thinking (OpenAI, 2023).

Example: Nature-Inspired Art

  • What I do: I bring children outdoors and invite them to collect natural materials—leaves, sticks, stones, and flowers and then create their own "nature art" by arranging or gluing them onto paper.

  • How it fosters creativity: It connects children with the natural world while encouraging them to think creatively about how to use the materials in an artistic way. It’s also a great opportunity for children to explore textures, colors, and shapes  (Wood, 2013).

  • Learning Outcomes: Creativity, fine motor skills, environmental awareness, artistic expression.

Example: Obstacle Courses and Physical Challenges

  • What I do: I set up an obstacle course or creative physical challenge outside, using different equipment or natural elements like logs, ropes, and cones. I might give the children different challenges like jumping, crawling, or balancing in creative ways, incorporating storytelling where they’re pretending to be explorers or superheroes.

  • How it fosters creativity: This outdoor activity promotes physical development, but it also encourages imaginative play, where children are free to use their creativity to solve problems or take on roles.

  • Learning Outcomes: Gross motor development, problem-solving, teamwork, imaginative play.

Encouraging Every Child's Inner Artist

Discover how we help shy or less confident children find their inner artist and have a go at creative expression.