Creative Growth
In Conversation with Crayola’s Director of Education, Cheri Sterman
“It is inherent in human nature, through all times and in all cultures to make a mark. We are hard-wired to create things. In ancient times, children would use a stick to make a mark in the sand. Today, children have many options in how they fulfil his innate human need to show others what we think and feel as we make things with our hands.”
Creativity, a widespread component of all our lives, not only brings great enjoyment, has a pivotal role in helping children, and indeed adults, to develop and grow. As we create and play, we are forming connections in the brain. Indeed children in their early years are rapidly building new neurons in response to their environment and stimuli. Creativity opens up possibilities and helps children find meaning in the many complex and colourful aspects of life. We spoke to Crayola’s Creative Director of Education, Cheri Sterman, about the importance of art and creativity in the early years and beyond.
Creativity and play go hand in hand. Why is it so good for us?
Children are naturally curious. Curiosity leads to playful exploration, which is essential for creative thinking. This process is particularly important in childhood when children are figuring out the world and their role within it. However, even adults must be curious and playful in order to think creatively.
Learning through play is a vital part of early childhood development and keeps us big kids (adults) developing and being inspired throughout life. What kind of sensory/messy play activities aid development?
Children need materials/play activities that are flexible - meaning the materials have many uses not prescribed outcomes. Equally important is that children have agency so make their own decisions about how to use those materials and what outcomes they will create. While adults may communicate a few safety perimeters, the best way children learn how things work and how to express their thoughts and feelings is by tinkering and creating with open-ended materials like paint, blocks, chalk, crayons, dress-ups, dough, and music-making materials. Mess is in the eye of the beholder. Adults can make mess a non-issue by providing washable art supplies and making clean up a playful experience that helps children feel proud of how they have organised their play materials after use.
What are some of Crayola’s all-time favourite art and craft activities and why?
Given the goal of helping children express what they are thinking and feeling, the ultimate art experience is one where the child selects the media and what will be created. Adults can nurture that self-expression by providing art supplies on open-access shelves and in containers that are easy to use and return. There should be sufficient variety so children can make real choices and decisions. Some great activities that children of all ages enjoy include self-portraits/selfies and homemade books (where adults serve as the scribes recording stories as children tell them). Cards are also all-time favourites since this art is intentionally created to give to someone else, which fosters interpersonal connections between people.
What are some of your must-have products and why?
Crayons, markers, coloured pencils, and paints in large colour assortments. Paper of all sizes, shapes, and colours. Three-dimensional art projects are made from play dough and Model Magic.
Throughout the pandemic, so many of us have taken refuge in arts and crafts at home. Can you share some calming at home craft ideas with us?
In Crayola’s Education department we often talk about Making Thinking Visible. During the pandemic, we encourage parents and teachers to use art as a window into how children think and feel. We can be intentional in opening that window by asking children to draw as we ask: How are you feeling today? What do you wish was different? What are you most proud of right now? What is frustrating or making you feel sad? When children share their thoughts and feelings adults should not try to “fix them” but instead acknowledge that the pandemic has turned life upside down, lockdowns are difficult, children are missing their friends, and whatever else is revealed. It is hard for children to understand how a virus that is so small our eyes cannot see, can be powerful enough to cancel birthday parties, ground airplanes, and close schools. No wonder they are confused and frustrated. Art can surface a wide array of feelings in safe ways that inspire conversations and empathy.
In what ways does creativity bring us together and help us to bond?
Many creative experiences ask us to reveal what we think and feel. That brings the inside out and helps us understand ourselves and others. At Crayola we often say When Something Is Created Something Bigger Happens. We actually have a Thinking Sheet that we can share with your families that will help them think about that phrase and reveal their creative superpowers. When we think of the many ways each of us is creative and discuss what we can contribute to a collaborative creative project, this process helps people connect!
We love making things for others and sharing kindness, whenever possible. What kind of things could we make at playgroup or at home to share with others in our community?
Creating and exchanging handmade cards with others as a way to say I’m “Thinking of You” is a great way to share kindness. Cards that surprise and delight spark joy and connect people. The other experience we recommend is that children think about what Gifts of Kindness they can create and give to others such as “helping certificates” that offer help caring for a pet, walking a neighbour’s dog, setting the table, cleaning up play areas, etc. Child-made cards that illustrate the caring acts they will give to others can be wrapped in hand drawn gift-wrap. Kids get excited when their art projects help them establish relationships with others and have a relevant purpose. Many art projects do that!
At playgroup, we love exploring in the great outdoors. What are some creative nature play ideas?
The great outdoors is PERECT inspiration for creative play! Even on days when the weather feels limiting, it is great to observe what is going on outside during rain and storms. At Crayola, we talk about Nature’s Elegant Solutions as inspiration for many projects and learning innovative ideas by observing nature. Young children notice patterns, colour combinations, and how animals interact—all great inspiration for art and storytelling. Older children realise this practice is called biomimicry and is often used when inventors and innovations tackle big real-world problems.
Creativity allows us to express ourselves in meaningful ways. In your experience, what is it about the process of using our hands and exploring with different mediums and ideas that is so hugely beneficial?
It is inherent in human nature, through all times and in all cultures to make a mark. We are hard-wired to create things. In ancient times, children would use a stick to make a mark in the sand. Today, children have many options in how they fulfil his innate human need to show others what we think and feel as we make things with our hands.
In what ways can creativity allow us to experience new things? Can it be used as a tool to problem solve or work through an issue?
Educators have been adopting more cross-curricular, art-integrated ways of presenting instruction, such as STEAM. The reason is that in order to solve real-world problems collaborators need to apply creative, flexible thinking to a problem with multiple lenses. Creativity is an essential mindset for scientists, technology experts, engineers, artists, and mathematicians in the STEAM teams. Children who are taught collaboration and creative thinking skills in their youth are better equipped to contribute innovative ideas throughout their entire lifetime, helping them face challenges collaboratively and creatively.
In what ways does art and craft cater to children with different abilities? In what ways have you seen it help children to blossom?
One of the best benefits of open-ended art experiences is that these provide a voice to all children regardless of different abilities. Creative experiences are invitations to show the world what you think and feel with no wrong answer and no bad idea. Each individual’s star shines when children use art materials to show us their ideas!
Children have the great ability to become absorbed in an art project and enjoy the process. In what ways does this support their social, emotional, intellectual and physical development?
Experts call this deep immersion in an art project, where the joy is so intense that the artist loses a sense of time and place = FLOW. Adults experience flow, just as children do. It is that magical pull when you are so focused on what you are creating, that nothing breaks that concentration. That is huge for children’s development. It is a myth that children have “short attention spans”. When children have agency over what they are creating and when the project they are working on is personally relevant, it results in FLOW which stimulates “whole child” growth.
Article by Sinead Halliday