#SparkCreativity. Join the fun.
Over the holidays, I spent some really fun, quality time with my two-year-old nephew – his imagination is absolutely amazing. He’s bursting with creativity, a true storyteller, an artist, entertainer and an absolute joy to be around. Seeing the world from his eyes is not only a true inspiration, but also a reminder that as a 21st century teacher, my job is to nurture the fascinating imagination of our students. It’s ironic that the older students get, the less creative they tend to become, all because of the pressures of curriculum. This has motivated me to charge us with working together to beat the mundane. Let’s inspire creativity and make learning fun.
Here are a few of my favourite group work activities which will get children to love school time, engage, collaborate and celebrate their imagination. You’ll be amazed and inspired by what your students will come up with. A fountain of creativity is right in front of our noses and while we’re committed to inspire students, they are the ones inspiring us right back.
#SparkCreativity – Idea 1
Cut out pictures from magazines pin them on a board and invite each group to give their own interpretation of what’s happening in the picture. Children will come up with the story-line behind the image, create a past, present and future story for the people in the photo, guess the location, time of year, weather – the works! The less of a brief you give them, the better. Don’t restrict them; allow them to think freely.
#SparkCreativity – Idea 2
Prepare loads of fun trivia questions (about anything under the sun). Stop yourself from trying to correct them or give the right answer immediately – just continue to ask questions and see what they come up with. Their feedback and reactions will surprise you, especially when you start to see how they have the ability to come up with a story even when they’re not quite sure of what the answer really is. You’re sure to be amazed (and entertained) with the answers they give. Participation in class is key and this is a great way to get them to interact.
#SparkCreativity – Idea 3
Cover one of your walls with sheets of white paper and give your students a daily colouring break. Let their imagination run away with them. Remember, the trick is not to give them any rules. Give them the gift of creative freedom. Their imagination will be working over-time and you will have some ultra-cool wall art for your class.
#SparkCreativity Idea 4
Give your students a list of characters and different scenarios and invite them to come up with their own script. Take it up a notch and get lots of different costumes and accessories. They’ll love dress up and you’ll be giving them the chance to truly express themselves, to work in a team setting and to be creative.
#SparkCreativity Idea 5
Ask children to take photos of what their weekend looks like. They can take photos of places they visit, their home, neighbours, friends, lunch-time, grocery shopping, family members, pets, outings, daytime, afternoon or night time settings, their favourite toys and games – absolutely anything which defines their own weekend. When they return to class, ask them to give a 5minute ‘My Weekend’ presentation in front of their classmates. Apart from involving their family members and creating a picture story of their own weekend, sharing it with their classmates will give them the confidence to speak in front of a crowd.
It’s your turn. #SparkCreativity – join the fun.
Children are the biggest and brightest minds we may ever meet so it would be great if we could join forces and #SparkCreativity together! Let’s share more exciting classroom activities and really get students to love learning. Share your tried and tested creative tasks on the Teach UAE Magazine social media pages. Together teachers from all over the globe will #SparkCreativity and celebrate how amazing imagination really is.
About Sabrina Mulligan
Sabrina Mulligan, is a passionate education enthusiast and content producer. She is inspired by young minds, a promoter of lifelong learning and an advocate of the use of technology in the classroom.
