Clare and Arty’s Creation Station Experience – Week 2

Following Clare and her 2-year-old son called Arty’s experience of Creation Station classes. Here’s Clare’s story of their second shared weekly class.

To read Clare and Arty’s first-week click here and to find out how they get on in future classes follow our blog.

Week 2 Little Explorer Classes: 

“We are into week two and Arty is eager to get started! Once again he puts on a red all- in- one messy suit and sits down to see what Helen has in her treasure chest this week. Squares! So we get down to explore making squares with various materials such as tissue paper, paint, maize and lolly sticks.

Helen encourages Arty to print squares using the sides of wooden blocks, we make picture frames using flat sticks (lolly sticks) and Arty paints his feet and hands on paper and we position them inside the frames. A lovely keepsake to take home and put on his wall. In the background there is Imagination Station music, it really makes the room seem rather magical, with a happy, buzzy energy! Again, Helen got down with Arty and encouraged him to take part in everything and was good to anticipate what he might like to explore next, jumping up and grabbing a bottle of blue paint or more lolly sticks. Really generous with materials, there are no boundaries here and imagination is stretched and explored without limits or restraints on anything. Very relaxing environment where our pretty lively toddler can play through art and we can get involved, feeling included and recognised as an important participant in our child’s learning and play. Roll on week 3”.

Clare Reeve- Artys proud mummy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Classes are designed to help inspire your little one through journeys of exploration discovery and development.

Creation station has the following classes and events available:

 

If you would like to come along and enjoy the fun with your little one pop your details below and we’ll let you know the details of local classes and events.

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Follow our blog for more exciting activity ideas to do at home to help inspire your child. For local award winning classes, parties and events visit your local creation station for hands-on inspirational classes.

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Why Imagination And Creativity is Important For Your Child

As one of the founders of the children’s activity association and having achieved the gold standard, we understand the importance of safe, positive and engaging activities to support your children’s development.

With the squeeze on creativity in our education system, it’s even more crucial that we support our children to be creative and imaginative. As a parent, we want to ensure our children have a solid foundation to help them grow develop and blossom. Starting creative activities at a young age and continuing through childhood, can support your child in all the key areas of their development. That’s what we are passionate about at Creation Station. providing your peace of mind and your child positive and engaging activities to help them explore, discover and develop at a rate and pace that sparks their own imagination and creative journey of learning.

We were approached by blogger Jennifer from arTeacherJB who loves what we do here at The Creation Station and has kindly written a blog for us about the importance of creativity and how it can help with your child’s development.

Every parent wants to ensure that their child gets off to the right start in life. Starting at a young age and continuing through their childhood, we should try to encourage children to be imaginative and creative. This will help your child with their learning development.

Every parent wants to ensure that their child gets off to the right start in life. Starting at a young age and continuing through their childhood, we should try to encourage children to be imaginative and creative. This will help your child with their learning development.

Imagination is something we all have and is essential in our lives whether it be at work or home. Children develop an imagination very early on and it is the start of the process that will define them as a person. Raising Children list the key benefits learnt through imagination as: fostering creative, expressing emotions, communications skills, coordination and motor skills, and problem-solving. How a child develops these skills is down to time dedicated to being imaginative and creative.

Children love to pretend that they are something they see on television or read about in books. Events such as the recent Olympics are a great way to fire up a child’s imagination and for a parent to encourage them to perhaps take part in something new. Here on Creative Fun we wrote a post on creating a children’s crafty medal. This is a great activity to do with your children to use in role-play such as winning the Olympics. This combines a child’s imagination with real-world goals and could inspire them in the future. Creative Fun recognizes that children need to have their creativity and imagination nurtured.

The Creative Fun helps inspire children by running fun creative classes that help them develop their imagination. We even organize events such as the kid zone for the Olympics at Hyde Park where hundreds of families came to have fun and learn. These types of events help improve child’s creativity because they get involved with other children who are also involved in the experience. Visit The  Creation Station website to find local classes, book group events or learn how to get your child inspired to ignite their creativity.

As parents, we want to encourage our children in the best way we can. Bright Horizons state that parents can often intentionally or unintentionally hinder their child’s imagination. The example they give is if your child says that they drank purple milk from a purple cow the natural reaction is to correct the child because we are afraid that they don’t understand what is real. What the parent might not understand is that the child knows that a cow is not purple and is instead enjoying their imagination. The site goes on to quote Susan Engel Ph.D. who informs that children aged two and a half understand the distinction between real and pretend and that when in play mode the real becomes unimportant.

Child Care Quarterly believes that parents should tailor their child’s creativity to their age. For example, toddlers are still learning about shapes and colours so it is best to encourage them to do activities that involve drawing and colouring. Pre-schoolers are more engaged with symbols and sequences. This includes activities such as dance and collaboration with other children. All creative work for children is beneficial but it is possible to help your child’s development by engaging them in certain activities based on their age.

It is important that children are encouraged to be creative in different ways. Toosta believes that children’s clothes and activities should not be separate at a young age as they believe that the gender stereotypes are not beneficial and that girls benefit from football and boys from sewing. By broadening your child’s activities beyond what is considered the normal, parents will be broadening their child’s creative capabilities.

One of the best ways to get your children to be creative is to join in with them. Help Guide states that not only will playing with our child help their development it will also make the bond between parent and child stronger. One tip they suggest is to make your child take the lead in the game. This will let them use their imagination in different ways, as they have to explain to you the rules or the world they are imagining.

Imagination is fundamental for your child’s development. All children have imaginations but it is up to the parent to make sure that it is encouraged. A child needs to be guided in life and sometimes this means accepting that they drank purple milk from a purple cow.

Exclusively written for The Creation Station
by arTeacherJB

Follow and like our Facebook or Twitter Page We hope you find this helpful.

Follow our blog for more exciting activity ideas to do at home to help inspire your child. For local award winning classes, parties and events fill in the boxes below and we will get you in touch with you local creation station leader for hands-on inspirational classes.

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Safer Sleep Awareness Week

What is safer sleep week?

The Lullaby Trust provides specialist support for bereaved families and anyone affected by a sudden infant death

They have taken to social media with #safersleepweek to spread awareness.

What is S.I.D.S.?

‘Sudden Infant Death’ is the term used to describe the sudden and unexpected death of a baby that is initially unexplained.  ‘Cot death’ was a term that was used in the past to describe the sudden and unexpected death of an infant. It has largely been abandoned, due to its misleading suggestions that sudden infant death can only occur when a baby is asleep in their own cot, which we know to be untrue.

So how can we prevent this from happening?

The Lullaby Trust have shared a video on the do’s and don’ts for your babies sleep.

Want to get involved?

If you want to get involved, please contact The Lullaby Trust.

If you are already getting involved in an event this week, we would love to see your photos of support. Please upload your images with #creationstation to our Facebook or our Twitter.

Find your local #creationstation Baby Discover class to inspire you and your baby.

It’s not just messy play

by Nicki Smith, Owner and Inspirer at The Creation Station Bath

These days, as parents, we are constantly bombarded with terms like messy play, creative play, heuristic play or sensory play but what’s wrong with plain old play?
As a daily provider of creative play, I actually get a bit narked about others belittling the job I do. I have been doing it for over 3 years (which is a long time in kid years!) and I reckon I know the value of creative play in all its forms.

Children play. It’s what they are good at. It’s what comes naturally to them. Most of us parents know and appreciate that. Sometimes it may feel that the government, LEAs, OFSTED or other institutions like to ignore it but even they would admit (I hope) that children learn best through play in Early Years.

Creativity is the ability to challenge, question and explore. It involves taking risks, playing with ideas, keeping an open mind and making connections where none are obvious – Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood.

Creative play is just one way that young children learn and develop. My personal definition of creative play involves drawing, painting, glueing, cutting, collage, modelling, making but most of all, using their awesome imaginations as a natural starting point.

Okay, that’s quite an adult definition but creativity in early childhood has been proven to bring benefits to the child and help them to gain skills:

• Maths skills – through involvement in arts and crafts, children will gain knowledge and familiarity of shapes, sizes, measuring, sorting and patterns. As they get older, they will begin to include problem-solving skills in their creations: ‘Is this too much paint?’; ‘Will this tool do what I want it to do?’; ‘If I cut this here, will it make the shape I want?’
• Science skills – in art projects, children learn basic science skills: colour mixing; using different textures for different outcomes.
• Physical skills – Creative play develops fine motor skills through cutting, drawing, painting, threading, colouring within the lines. One minute, they may be scribbling, but the next, that pencil is forming letters and numbers. ‘Mark making’ (the PC term for scribbling!) is a milestone for muscle control and hand-eye coordination.
• Emotional and social skills – Art provides the child with an incredible opportunity to express themselves. It is accepted that emotionally healthy children are often those who have an outlet for their emotions and thoughts. Art classes and activities also allow little ones the chance to interact with others and experience group dynamics and the different thoughts and interests of others.

And creative play in babies can be even more important. Playing with materials such as sand, water or paint have been shown to develop thought and creativity in little ones. Encouraging curiosity and exploration is so beneficial for our babes.

The important thing to remember is that no end product is necessary for any age group, in fact the act of exploring and playing is where the learning and development are focused. Who cares what they make as long as they have had fun.

We shouldn’t underestimate how shared creative play strengthens the bond between parent and child. Having fun together creates memories. Allowing your child to explore whilst you are present instils a sense of security in the child to have fun, explore new things. A whole lot of thoughts and theory? True, but I have seen the truth in this too.

I have seen the most shy, socially uncomfortable little boy (who used to try to escape during class!) blossom in confidence and stature as his ideas and imagination were noticed and valued. I have seen little ones living with autism, cerebral palsy and other disabilities thrive on the chance to join in activities on an equal footing and watched their individual talents soar. I have also noticed with pride as my own children’s imaginations have developed and their skills started to become obvious.

Creative play is accessible to all.

Shush, don’t tell anyone but I really don’t like doing lots of arts and crafts at home with my kids. I struggle enough to keep the house tidy without adding to the chaos. However, creative play doesn’t have to be messy. Creative play is story-telling, music, performance just as much as it is paint, glue, glitter and clay.

Some people are happy to strip their kids off and let them redecorate the bathroom with poster paints. Some people start to convulse at the idea of play-dough. Some people are more creative and inspirational everyday than I have the energy to even think about. Some people need the comfort of arty sessions like Messy Play at Children’s Centres or The Creation Station.

Whatever you choose give your little one’s creativity the wings to soar. It’s not just messy play, you know.

>> You can find out more about Nicki’s classes or your local Creation Station here.