Giving children the means to think creatively not only benefits them now, but in the future as well. For instance, children who have creative thinking skills are more motivated and have higher levels of self-esteem, according to the Teaching Thinking website. Creative thinking, or developing and expanding on ideas and questions using innovation and imagination, is also good for when they grow up; their ability to think creatively and have flexibility in thought will set them apart from other job candidates. You can foster these abilities in children by initiating certain games that have been touted as encouraging creative thought.
Word Games
Word games can help with creative thinking because they can encourage children to make creative associations and relationships among different elements. There are a variety of word association games that can encourage creative thinking. For instance, try listing four or five words that are related to each other through one other word. Have the child view the list, with the intention of naming that connecting word. For example, list "sleeping," "contest," and "mark" on a sheet of paper. The child would then try to guess the connective word, "beauty." For a game to accommodate multiple children, try "Connect." Here, have one child name any word. Next, have another child name a relating word. The next child would then name an associative word based on the preceding word, and so on.
Visual Thinking Games
Visual thinking games can help promote creative thinking because they help children problem solve with shapes and forms, and encourage the use of imagination and the ability of visualization. One way to stimulate visual thinking is with abstract images. Have the children look at an abstract image and discuss what they see. Choose images in which there generally are two main answers, such as a vase or two faces depending on how you look at it. Children with flexible mental skills will see both of these, according to the Teacher Site website. However, don't stop with these answers. Have the children look at the image from different perspectives and angles and list any additional concepts they see. The point of this game is to let the imagination roam, so don't inhibit or pooh-pooh any outlandish ideas.
Drawing Games
Drawing games include the benefits of both visualization and word games as they combine these two to encourage creative thinking. Drawing also allows children to play with a subject that can easily be altered and build on an existing shape, rather than a subject that is fixed, such as pictures. For an ideal drawing game, the Teaching Thinking website suggests "Squiggles." Here, have the children draw a simple squiggle on a piece of paper or board and ask them what it could possibly be. Then, draw each child a squiggle and have them use the shape to build something more complex. They can do this in pairs or alone. They can discuss their drawings with a partner, with the rest of the children or with you.
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