Your preschooler is like a sponge, picking up new information and data at an incredible rate, as their brain expands and as they grow faster than you could ever imagine. As a parent, you need to ensure that this process of learning is structured to an extent, so that your child develops as effectively as possible. This is why it is important to choose child care that clearly understands the need for creative expression and proactively encourages attendees to think laterally, through special types of activity. What should you be looking out for in child care?

Creative Expression

It is certainly true to say that any preschool child is hungry to learn and not just in the conventional way. Their behaviour may seem to be random and inevitably excitable, but it is merely a way of absorbing as much new information as possible in the shortest amount of time. To take advantage of this energy and drive, children should be encouraged to look for solutions and answers to puzzles, that require them to think creatively.

Multiple Answers

To begin with, it's important that children are taught that there is more than one way of looking at any problem and that there's not a simple right or wrong answer. This will, in turn, encourage them to brainstorm and value the answers given by others, as a way of coming up with a final solution.

Telling a Story

Storytelling is a very powerful educational tool and children will generally hang on every single word or image that is presented to them during this activity. While the story is being relayed, the children should be invited to create their own drawings or even a musical accompaniment through song, which will in turn help them to absorb the overall message within the story. They should even be encouraged to create their own storyline with a different ending.

Outside the Box

Take this analogy to the gaming area and ask children to come up with new games for familiar tools like balls or bats. They can come up with new rules, which can be modified as others provide their input and this will encourage them to think "outside of the box" as they develop in later life.

Working Together

Parents and educators should work together to design increasingly creative activities for preschoolers. Have a word with your childcare facility to see how they will address this important process of development.