What is creative play?
Creative play is a way for children are able to explore the environment around them and are able to show their unique differences. Creativity is a process where children turn their imagination into creations. “They try out ideas, feelings and relationships in their role play or pretend play, make props for their play or find things to be used as prop” (Bruce, 2011, pg.4). These ideas can be done using different types of creative activities which help children express their creativity and imagination. For example, art and crafts, constructing with block play, music, dancing, storytelling and role or imaginative play.
The benefits of creative play
Creative play is very important for the development …show more content…
Encouragement from supporting grown-ups, for example, caregivers and teachers have a positive impact on a child’s creativity. Bruce (2011) states that, “when adults observe, support and extend children’s learning through well-planned play, they are teaching” (pg.72). This means making sure children are provided with everything they need for creative play. Providing children space to play is one of the ways adults can help promote play. This space should be a safe environment where the child feels physically and emotionally safe, which helps support their overall learning and wellbeing. It should be a place where the child has plenty of free time for creativity there should be plenty of objects, materials and equipment that children can use during creative play and importantly people who are there to help support and extend their play. Adults should be asking children open-ended questions to find out what topic the child finds interesting. Lasky and Mukerij-Bergeson (1980), believe that adults sometimes prevent children’s creative flow, by creating too much rules and results. So instead take a step back and observe children being kids and focus on letting them have fun during activities, rather than the developmental or learning