Every child is naturally curious, creative and unique. And using all these qualities, children begin to make sense of the world around them. But, as they grow older, these qualities are often stifled by systems and activities that force them to learn things a certain way. This, in turn, can make learning feel like a chore, especially once they enter the primary school education system.
To ensure your child carries a love for learning as they grow, you need to nurture these innate qualities from an early age. Here are some tips to help you boost your child’s creativity that will help foster a love for lifelong learning.
1. Provide a Stimulating Environment
The best way to keep the curiosity within your child burning bright is to provide a stimulating environment. A safe space filled with new things will pique their interest and ignite curiosity, empowering them to explore it even further. The goal of having a stimulating environment is to cultivate a sense of wonder so that learning new things will always be exciting for your child.
You can do this by spending more time outdoors since the benefits of nature for child development are endless. Because nature is always changing, it offers countless opportunities for discovery, creativity, and problem-solving.
2. Provide a Diverse Curriculum
As parents, you must understand that every child is different and not all activities will appeal to them. Hence, be sure to give them a variety of activities to try so that you’ll understand what your child is drawn to. Not only will this feed their curiosity, but it will also provide you with insights into how your child likes to learn.
For example, you can encourage your child to engage in art activities. Art is not about following directions. Instead, it is a form of creative expression that nurtures the imagination. Through painting, scrapbooking, collage or any other medium, art is a way for children to work through their emotions, make decisions and express themselves. Furthermore, art activities also help to build confidence as they gain a sense of mastery over the materials used to create something new.
In addition to art, you can also share literacy activities with your child. Make reading or TV time more memorable and enjoyable by discussing other possible scenarios or endings for the story. Above all, you should not discourage your child or make them feel bad if they dislike a particular activity. Instead, encourage them to try others and praise them when they excel.
3. Give Them Small Challenges to Overcome
Having small challenges can hone your child’s creativity and problem-solving skills – invaluable tools for their learning and development. One effective way to introduce small obstacles to your child is to play games with a certain degree of difficulty without being too overwhelming. You can make up stories with your child, at times with her as the main character, and at others, propose moral dilemmas.
You should always make sure that these posed challenges are fun, interesting and something they can easily overcome. You can help your child become more confident in their problem-solving abilities by allowing them to encounter and overcome small challenges.
MindSpace by MindChamps Nurtures a Love for Learning in Children
At MindSpace by MindChamps, our educators believe that every child is unique and born with a capacity to learn. Our job is to help your child learn and explore the world in a safe, stimulating and fun environment. Offering a range of after-school enrichment activities, English, Math and Chinese enrichment lessons for primary school students, our curriculum introduces the techniques and mindsets your child needs for academic success.
Our programme not only helps to foster a love for learning in your child, but it also complements the MOE syllabus to let your child stay ahead of the curve. All while leveraging research-backed pedagogies to instill the Champion Mindset Way in your child.
Find the MindSpace by MindChamps Centre nearest to you today, and get in touch with us to learn more about our after-school enrichment activities.