Creative play

In an earlier post, I said, if you have a grandchild or a child who has a creative imagination, help them build their worlds and create. Help them to understand that fiction is something they can build using 26 letters and a handful of punctuation marks, and they, and they alone, using their imagination, can create a world and people to fill this world. Using writing they get to feel things, visit places and worlds they would never otherwise know, and they can share these with their friends, family, and maybe one day the world.

I believe this to be true, but I did not mention children who use their imagination to draw, paint, or sketch the worlds they imagine. Artists use imagery to touch our souls, to help us understand the depth of human desire, rage, anguish, pain, love, and joy. The skills the writer uses to manipulate the 26 letters of the alphabet to create stories, moods, characters, and memories can be surpassed by the ability of the artist to use the primary colours, of red, yellow, and blue to create a story, a mood, and memories. They use art to show us how to feel and how to visit places we may never go or imagine ourselves. Encourage them to share their visions with friends, family and maybe one day the world.

Now we are aware that humans only see a small part of the light spectrum, some scientists say we see less than 1%. With that 1%, we create magical worlds that allow the viewer to be transported, using their imagination to a different time, place, or mood. Encourage the artist, in your grandchildren who see the world differently and who express their view through their drawings, paintings, or sketching.

The creativity of children can be expressed through art, writing, acting, and playing and sometimes as adults we miss out. So, when we see creativity in action, we should talk about it with the child. Ask open-ended questions like “Tell me about your picture, your story.”

You can also describe specific things your child is doing by saying things such as, “You’re making short lines, I see you are using red, green and blue.” You can also describe the actions your child is taking or the materials they are using by saying things such as, “You are using a soft paintbrush, I noticed you are making small circles, and you are using two crayons at the same time! I believe that we should encourage role play and imaginative play in children no matter what age.