green hippo Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Hi, Does anyone have a good way of explaining exactly why a 'creative' activity where everyone makes exactly the same thing is actually not that creative? (I'm often asked why but never seem to be able to explain it very well!). Also, is it 'wrong' for the children to do the same thing if you are teaching a skill? E.g. making snowmen by printing with different circular objects? In this instance the children were allowed to choose which circles and colours they used and also printed by themselves once they have been shown how to do it. Every snowman looked different - quite a few were standing on their heads or had floating heads! There still seems to be pressure out their (often from parents!) to be 'producing' things that the children can take home - does anyone else find this? Thanks Green Hippo xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 (edited) This often comes up here is one previous thread Thinking creatively about creative development Fluffy duck syndrome is how we used to describe it.. but cannot find the explanation which I am sure I saw in an article or discussion on here sometime... we had a poem or story on the noticeboard with pictures about what the child has been doing and please not to ask what have you done today... not found it yet but it is on here somewhere.. it did stop the parents asking though. If staff were the ones doing this I used to set up a craft session staring off giving freedom and their choices but then began to interfere with what they were doing moving their items to where I thought they should be, telling them what to do, adding my own bits to their work generally doing what they did to the children but in a greater degree... they hated it and soon understood why the child should be allowed freedom. They stopped the lets all do craft work after that.. ( unfortunately since leaving I have noticed it creep back in ! ) Inge gosh reading it back and think I must have a memory problem! or just know I saw it somewhere but cannot find it day.. Edited January 14, 2010 by Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 I have given this to parents and have one on display too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 look here Knew I had seen it here just using wrong word when searching.. Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacquieL Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Hi, Also, is it 'wrong' for the children to do the same thing if you are teaching a skill? E.g. making snowmen by printing with different circular objects? Thanks Green Hippo xx I think in terms of a 'skill' the first thing is to be sure of what the skill is you wish the children to experience and learn. If it is 'cutting' then the children don't all have to cut out the same thing. If it is 'printing' they don't all have to print in the same way but can use different things. In your example printing is the skill, not printing with circles. It isn't creative for the children if the adult has decided what the children are to make and how to do it. With older children an example might be drawing using pencils in different ways. The children would be shown different ways of using pencils for light and shade and look at other artists and how they use pencil techniques, but the creative bit is when they use these skills for themselves to make their own drawings from their own imaginations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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