We would like you to think of a swimmer. Becoming a good swimmer is not just about developing one skill, such as kicking, it is about developing multiple skills- such as breath control, using different strokes, body coordination, and kicking. Like swimming, creativity isn’t about just one skill. When we look to the literature, it is about multiple skills such as curiosity, looking at things from multiple perspectives, being original, and generating multiple ideas, to name a few. What you will find on this platform is a set of 20 skills, most of them coming from the work of *E. Paul Torrance, who was known as the Father of Creativity in Education. Additionally, it features a number of skills that are featured in contemporary creativity literature. If you click on one of the skills, it will take you to our youtube station, CreateTUBEity, where it will provide you with quick activities you can give to your children to become acquainted with the skills! Once you have a basic overview of the skills, scroll down to learn how to bring creativity into your home..
Infuse Creativity
Introducing The Creativity Skill Set
If you would like to become more acquainted with these twenty skills download one of our posters:
Weaving Creativity Into Your Daily Life at Home
Parents frequently approach us eager and excited to bring creativity into the lives of their children, but they often have two pressing questions.
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How do I actually do it?
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How do I do it in between running to dance class and the school football game?
Fortunately, we have numerous ideas and strategies to help you weave creative thinking into your home!
To begin, think about a typical Saturday morning. For example, perhaps you like to make a big breakfast that includes eggs, pancakes, and fruit. Perhaps you throw it all on a plate and hand it over to your children. What if you use this opportunity to develop their creative thinking skills? What if you hand your children the plate, but ask them to turn it into an original picture before they eat it (practicing the skill, Be Original)? Or, what if you ask them to talk about the texture, smell, and taste of each bite they eat (practicing the skill Mindfulness)? By using the skills up above, you can turn any mundane activity into a creative one! This technique was originally described through the work of E. Paul Torrance in the Torrance Incubation Model for Creative Teaching and Learning.
Dr. Cyndi Burnett and Michaelene Dawson documented their journey using these techniques and strategies with their young children in a book titled, My Sandwich is a Spaceship: Creative Thinking for Parents and Young Children. You can download a few chapters of their book in our Go Beyond Resources for free!
