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kristacecilia
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| Posted: March 05 2010 at 1:06pm | IP Logged
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I have two sons, 4 and 6, who love art, poetry, story books, music, you name it.
But they won't draw pictures themselves. They won't come up with little stories. They are both pretty much straight shooters- the like puzzles, toy cars, and superheros. Not so much in the imaginary game genre.
I keep waiting for one of them to come tell me a silly story they made up or draw me a picture of something, but they never do. If I suggest they draw something, it's like pulling teeth.
Instead of drawing, my older son likes to make write and cut out labels for everything?
Any ideas how I can encourage them to be more creative?
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CathinCoffeland
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| Posted: March 05 2010 at 1:33pm | IP Logged
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my ds was the same though replace cars and heros with penguins and swords:)
ive noticed that part of it is that my son is so much more introspective i guess than my dd- he has the creative side he just keeps it more to him self.
i would just say they are little and as long as they are enjoying your books/stories/music keep it up. and set examples by drawing and telling your own stories
my ds's love of puzzles and order moved into a fascinating ability to create huge block sculptures and creations- mostly for his penguins :)
perhaps some new building toys might be in order... they might be more creative in a physical way instead of a oral/writing way.
maybe they could cut up branches with daddy to make their own blocks...
one other thing my ds who will be 6 this month had no interest in things written/drawn until on a whim we got his eyes checked- he was so far sighted he could see only
colorful blurs with in ten feet- he just compesnated really well  his first words after getting glasses were "the baby is even cuter than i thought!)
the doc said that boys rarely get their eye problems diagnosed until they are much older that girls and many eye probs are attributed to behavior probs. we actually had to order boy frames they had only pink in the little sizes
if as they get older they show 0 interest in anything written you might consider an eye exam. but otherwise i wouldnt worry
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kristacecilia
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| Posted: March 05 2010 at 1:38pm | IP Logged
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Thanks, Maggie. :)
I am glad to know that maybe it's a boy thing. Or at least that my boys aren't the only ones who love logic and order!
They have had their eyes checked within the last year, but I will keep it in mind if there seems to be long term problems.
I like your idea about building toys. Actually, we're getting DS1 a nice tool set from Montessori Services for his 6th birthday in a few weeks. I will suggest the branch blocks idea to his dad. They do love legos, but mostly they want to follow the directions in the little guides to make things exactly like in the pictures.
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: March 05 2010 at 2:38pm | IP Logged
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puzzles, toy cars and superheros can all truly involve the imagination.. what you may have is boys that aren't articulating what's going on in their heads. I have at least one like that and every once in a while.. maybe if i'm peeking around a door frame into a room etc.. I'll catch conversations between cars or by superheros etc.
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Teachin'Mine2
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| Posted: March 05 2010 at 3:19pm | IP Logged
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Maybe you can model some of this for them.
I'm thinking about creating a Tom Sawyer like situation.  Make a bit of a production about what you're doing, without actually asking them to join you. Clear the table, bring out the best colored pencils, markers, crayons, whatever and some awesome card stock. Then arrange the supplies and sit and think of what you'll do. Maybe have scrap paper that you start doodling some things on and whatnot. I think at this point you'll have lots of questions about what you're up to. 
Then begin your own work of art complete with a poem or something and you may have them asking if they can join you. I think the main thing with the little ones is not to criticize or correct anything they do creatively. Give them full freedom of expression by saying something like - art is never wrong. We used to say art is neither right nor wrong, it just is. Now I have to give her a grade for it.
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Teachin'Mine2
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| Posted: March 05 2010 at 3:23pm | IP Logged
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Another thought came to mind. Take washable paints, and take some of the toy cars and "drive" them through some paint and create designs on the paper that way. Maybe you can give them poster board and ask if they'd like to paint a town - with streets and all - that they can drive their cars (without the paint on the wheels) though. They might like to use larger paint brushes rather than smaller ones. Even the small paint rollers might work well for them.
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kristacecilia
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| Posted: March 05 2010 at 3:28pm | IP Logged
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JodieLyn wrote:
| puzzles, toy cars and superheros can all truly involve the imagination.. what you may have is boys that aren't articulating what's going on in their heads. I have at least one like that and every once in a while.. maybe if i'm peeking around a door frame into a room etc.. I'll catch conversations between cars or by superheros etc. |
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This may be the case, especially with the four year old. He actually does act out very imaginative games with his cars, toy people, even his fingers if he can't find anything better to use.
The six year old really is very black and white. Like I said before, for fun (he came up with this idea all on his own) he spent two days writing out, cutting out, and taping labels on his toy bins in his free time. He is very logical, orderly, and literal.
He does occasionally do creative things on the big electronic keyboard we have. He loves, loves, loves music and has taught himself to play the keyboard, The other day he made up a song.
So maybe wanting them to express themselves creatively on paper is like exercising a muscle they don't use much?
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kristacecilia
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Teachin'Mine2 wrote:
Maybe you can model some of this for them.
I'm thinking about creating a Tom Sawyer like situation. Make a bit of a production about what you're doing, without actually asking them to join you. Clear the table, bring out the best colored pencils, markers, crayons, whatever and some awesome card stock. Then arrange the supplies and sit and think of what you'll do. Maybe have scrap paper that you start doodling some things on and whatnot. I think at this point you'll have lots of questions about what you're up to.
Then begin your own work of art complete with a poem or something and you may have them asking if they can join you. I think the main thing with the little ones is not to criticize or correct anything they do creatively. Give them full freedom of expression by saying something like - art is never wrong. We used to say art is neither right nor wrong, it just is. Now I have to give her a grade for it. |
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I love this idea.
I may do this on Monday with them.
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ekbell
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| Posted: March 05 2010 at 6:24pm | IP Logged
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I'll add my two cents in agreement for modelling creativity but otherwise letting it be.
Not everyone likes to share stories.
I spent much of my youth daydreaming my way through various fantastic happenings but I didn't like trying to share them and rarely even acted them out with my toys (most toys had too much detail to be suitable-the fixed expressions were particularly imagination killing). The closest I'd voluntarily gotten to story-writing or telling before I had children was as a GM for a roleplaying game in my twenties.
The thought of anyone else knowing about my fantasies was abhorrent.
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violingirl
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| Posted: March 06 2010 at 12:26am | IP Logged
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My 4 year old is really black and white about things too, and I've been able to get him to use a bit of imagination by taking turns story telling. I tell a bit of a silly story and ask him to fill in details (like character names or what food they could be eating or whatever), or we trade back and forth one sentence at a time and try to make the story as silly as we can. It took a few times before he got the idea, but now he asks to tell stories often and it has been the catalyst for him telling some short things completely on his own.
I totally love this idea:
Teachin'Mine2 wrote:
Maybe you can model some of this for them.
I'm thinking about creating a Tom Sawyer like situation. Make a bit of a production about what you're doing, without actually asking them to join you. Clear the table, bring out the best colored pencils, markers, crayons, whatever and some awesome card stock. Then arrange the supplies and sit and think of what you'll do. Maybe have scrap paper that you start doodling some things on and whatnot. I think at this point you'll have lots of questions about what you're up to.
Then begin your own work of art complete with a poem or something and you may have them asking if they can join you. I think the main thing with the little ones is not to criticize or correct anything they do creatively. Give them full freedom of expression by saying something like - art is never wrong. We used to say art is neither right nor wrong, it just is. Now I have to give her a grade for it. |
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kristacecilia
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| Posted: March 06 2010 at 6:55am | IP Logged
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violingirl wrote:
| My 4 year old is really black and white about things too, and I've been able to get him to use a bit of imagination by taking turns story telling. I tell a bit of a silly story and ask him to fill in details (like character names or what food they could be eating or whatever), or we trade back and forth one sentence at a time and try to make the story as silly as we can. It took a few times before he got the idea, but now he asks to tell stories often and it has been the catalyst for him telling some short things completely on his own. |
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Love this idea! They do enjoy being silly so this could really work.
Thanks!
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Encouraging creative drawing and writing
