Children In Creativity

Imagination is everything; it is a preview of life’s coming attractions. Albert Einstein.

Thinking about this reminded me about a time when I was to oversee a kindergarten class of children at a private school. I had only taught and tutored slightly older children about the age of eight or nine. This group was to open my eyes about active imagination that day. After our formal introduction we moved to the work table and that is where I encountered my observations. The children were quite helpful to guide me about their usual routine if I would let them. Of course I did for I was their student as well. They proceeded to begin with their tools of colored pencils and crayons and I watched on most attentive of allowing them respect for their space for I was in their domain not the other way around.

As Maria Montessori the Early Education Expert had shown me I was here to act as support and guidance for these young minds, only nurturing their perspective. What I saw were very alert minds working away at their art using different mediums and utensils focused on their creations yet aware of their neighbors as well as sometimes observing and interacting about one anothers creation.

Sometimes they would call on me or come at me to show me what they had just created. It was wonderful. There were no conflicts I noticed because they each were more concerned about keeping their task and projects at the forefront of their minds and priority.

One young girl named Sarah came and asked me to help her. Help her with what I wondered. She did not know which to use on her picture of her house and backyard, crayons or colored pencil? She liked the color purple but she did not know where to put it. I said to her, Well lets see how it would look on another scrap piece of paper first. I showed her that she could try drawing part of the picture and using the color there first. --Lets see try that. How do you like it there? I asked. --No – I watched as her eyes squinted –I do not like that –,she said. She continued and I went to the end of the room and resumed my place observing their business. A few minutes later I saw her light up in smile looking over at me she held up her picture and pointed out the place she had found, I nodded and smiled back.

This activity continued on with the group until I took them outside to recess. One main thing I remembered about this group is how well they respected and got on with each other working individually and as a group.

I saw no conflicts that morning except perhaps small negotiation over sharing colors and crayons. You see the creativity of each to their own was paramount to their minds. They were far too busy enjoying the exhilaration of active imagination to be involved in petty disturbances and disputes. On their I left them, to later experience in the afternoon the older children at the Drama class working on Westside Story. But that was another story where the children have much more outward interactions with each other coupled with different motivations and dynamic.