Children become quite focused when creating. For the child, it's about the PROCESS not the RESULTS. This is old news in children's art education, but not many art teachers or parents grasp the importance of allowing children to experiment and enjoy the process of working with the materials. I hope you begin to ponder the idea now. Watch your children. Think about what they may be learning through the process of what they are doing when they create. You can see that their minds are fully engaged, thinking, pondering, creating! You don't have to identify the benefits or explain the results of their time to others. Just know that by allowing them to create you are giving them time to practice something good that they will be able so use for a lifetime. (my emphasis)
I really love this, and it applies equally well to the building and exploring that children do--which in essence is also creation--even if it's creating a new understanding of what's inside a flower (for example) in their own minds.
So how do we facilitate this? In my mind there are several ingredients:
1 - Remove mindless or non-creative distractions (limit TV and video games, don't force a child to do academic work that he's not interested in/not ready for).
2 - Enrich the environment with the raw materials of art, building, and all forms of creation from cooking to playing in nature.
3 - Have a supportive attitude toward the child's inclinations to get things out and make messes... within reasonable limits.
4 - As in all areas of life, set an example. Pursue forms of creation that are interesting to you, and share your enthusiasm with your children.
