Being Creative Is Part of Being Human
Thoughts for the Week:
Everyone is creative, and each of
us has his or her own unique way of expressing that creativity. Being creative
is part of being human. When children pretend about how they would like things
to be, they are trying out creative alternatives to life's experiences. The
three-year-old who misses her mother can pretend to talk to her on the phone
and creatively keep her mother with her through make-believe.
Making and doing is another way
that children express their creativity. Painting a picture, completing a
project, building a block city all require creative problem-solving. Feeling
good about things they have made can help children develop a sense of pride in
themselves as unique and worthwhile individuals. Children's projects might not
always turn out the way we adults expect, but they reflect a child's own
expression of creativity.
-- Fred Rogers
Summary of the Week:
This week is designed to encourage children to find
lifelong satisfaction in making and building and to experience the great joys
of creating. Classic ways to create are explored, in visits with renowned
poet and essayist May Sarton who began writing poetry as a child, with a
Chinese grandmother who makes dumplings, and with a group of parents who are
building a playground for children in their neighborhood. The programs also
look at other kinds of creations -- children building fanciful structures in a
sandbox, kittens being born, and a factory where people make rocking horses.
There's creative fun in the Neighborhood of
Make-Believe story, as Lady Elaine Fairchilde invites her friends to create
items for an exhibit of "covers" at the Museum-Go-Round. The neighbors
find that creativity works best when there's a measure of discipline -- and
courage involved.
