Creative thinking is one of the many important elements of early childhood development. It fosters cognitive development as it encourages children to think outside the box and come up with unique solutions that strengthen their cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills. Through creative thinking, children are encouraged to approach challenges from different angles which promotes flexibility and resilience in the face of obstacles.

Creative thinking also helps build self-esteem and confidence as it allows children to experiment, discover their talents and take pride in their unique creations. It sparks curiosity and imagination, develops emotional expression, enhances communication abilities, develops hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, and heightens sensory development and awareness which contribute to overall well-being and learning potential.

If you're thinking of how to encourage creative thinking, then here are 10 activities that promote creative thinking in your child.

1: Collage-Making

Collage-making is an ideal activity for pre-schoolers. You will need various materials and textures such as a board, paper, fabric scraps, buttons, beads, scissors (safe ones), glue and more. Give your child a theme such as “My Favourite Animals” and let them figure out how to create their masterpiece as they cut, tear and paste the materials.

Another variation is to provide them with colour pencils or crayons along with a board, paper, glue and scissors. Ask them to cut the paper into different shapes, colour and paste them on the board to form their picture. These exercises will not only immerse them in creative thinking and planning, it will also help develop their fine motor skills while giving them hours of fun.

2: Mould and Sculpt

Using playdough (store bought or homemade) your child can mould and sculpt anything he wants based on his imagination. From existing objects to fantastical inventions, they can bring their creations to life! Given the freedom to explore all kinds of possibilities, this activity will not only fire his imagination but also develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Here’s how to make your own playdough at home. Your kid can help you make it and have fun kneading and adding in the colours: In a bowl mix one cup of flour, half cup of salt and gradually stir in half a cup of water. If the mixture gets too dry, add water. When the dough forms, you can knead it in your hands. If the dough gets too sticky, you can add flour. Once you get the consistency you want, divide the dough into two or three clumps, add five to 10 drops of different food colours to the different clumps, and knead the dough to mix the colour in. Your home-made playdough is now ready to be played with. To keep the dough from drying out after playing, put them in a plastic bag and keep the bag in the fridge where it will last up to four weeks.

3: Finger Painting

This is going to make a mess but allow for it as children get hands-on with paint, colours and imagination. For this activity, you only need water colour and drawing paper. Spread some drawing paper on the table or floor and leave your child free to paint anything he wants with his fingers. Finger painting nurtures essential skills like sensory processing, emotional expression, fine motor development, and if done together with siblings or in a group with friends, it also promotes social interaction.

4: Music, Movement and Singing

Music, movement and singing activities aren’t just a lot of fun, they can help pre-schoolers develop their listening skills, coordination, literacy, communication and creativity. You can begin by making your own music instruments such as filling plastic bottles with rice to make shakers and wrapping rubber bands around tissue boxes to make “guitars”. Once the instruments are made, you can play some music, lead the children in a parade and encourage them to sing along and play their instruments along to the beat. This activity introduces children to the concept of rhythm and beat and allows them to exercise their gross motor skills through movement.

There are plenty of kid dance and learning songs that are available on YouTube. Some examples are “The Hokey Pokey Song”, “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and “If You’re Happy and You Know it”. The songs are also available in Malay and Chinese. Apart from these three songs, there are many other songs that encourage children to get up and move while they sharpen their listening and language skills.

Alternatively, children can also dance freely to their favourite songs while they make up their own dance moves. Or they can join a music class and learn how to play a musical instrument. Playing instruments, singing or any form of musical expression unlocks creativity. Through melodies and rhythms, children can express a range of emotions while developing listening skills, musical skills, fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

5: Puppet Shows

Children love puppets. You can do this with soft toys or with actual puppets such as stick puppets, glove puppets or finger puppets. Children put on a puppet show by making up the storyline, characters and dialogue. This develops their communication skills and engages them in imaginative play. You can take puppeteering further by asking them to craft their own puppets from everyday items such as fabric scraps, cardboard, socks or any recyclable materials. Once done, they can put up a puppet show for the family or friends.

6: Cooking

This is probably more suitable for slightly older children but with close supervision, kids can start learning basic cooking skills by around age four to five. (Smart Junior Chef Malaysia ─ a cooking school for children ─ takes in students from as young as four. Jamie Oliver, the world-renowned British chef, started tinkling about the kitchen at the age of four). However, even younger than that, children can start playing with play kitchens and imitating adult activities from as early as age two. Once they are old enough to handle simple tasks like washing vegetables, stirring, mixing, measuring or adding ingredients to a bowl, let them try their hand in a real kitchen. There are many cooking activities that do not involve the use of sharp knives or fire. As they get older, and with better motor skill development, they will soon learn how to get on with more complex cooking activities. Apart from using their creativity, it will enhance their cooking skills as well.

7: Nature Walk

Going for a walk in the garden or the park is not only good for physical exercise but also for observation, thought and awareness of the world around them. When going for a walk with your children, encourage them to question you on what they notice and touch. Remember, curiosity is the first step to unleashing creativity.

8: Ask Open Ended Questions

Asking open-ended questions ─ which are questions that require an answer longer than ‘yes’ or ‘no’ ─ can stimulate your child’s critical thinking, encourage problem-solving skills and expand their imagination. For example, you could ask: What could happen if it always rained on Saturdays? Or, why don’t we wake up with our hair neat and combed? Asking your child open ended questions can boost creativity as much as getting them to ask you questions.

9: Pretend Play

Pretend Play allows children to express themselves and explore social roles as well as learn about the adult world. You could imagine both of you are out on the beach or on a shopping spree or out camping in the wilderness. Take up roles and enact the scenes. Then swap the roles for more fun. For example, in the shopping spree scenario, you could be the shopper and he or she could be the cashier or store clerk. Then swap roles. Children could also create their own play worlds and enact different themes, either by themselves or with others.

10: Provide Free Time for Unstructured Play

Letting children play freely allows creativity to emerge naturally. Unstructured play ─ where there are no rules and no structures to adhere to ─ allows them to explore, create their own games and experiment without set rules or predetermined outcomes. Essentially, their imaginations are given free reign to develop their own unique scenarios and solutions to problems. Playgrounds and outdoor spaces are ideal for free play as there are endless opportunities to explore and interact with the world. Children can race through a play structure, run in open spaces and create their own games based on what’s available. However, if open spaces are not available, then a quiet corner under the kitchen table with his toys can be just as fun.

Morinaga Chil-kid

In order to nourish the mind, first, nourish the body. To enable their minds and bodies to grow and stay strong and healthy, young children must be provided with the right nutrients to ensure that their nutritional needs are met. Morinaga Chil-kid, a Japanese formula, is a nutrient-dense growing up milk that has been carefully formulated with 45 essential nutrients such as ARA+DHA, Inositol, GOS, 5 Nucleotides, Omega 3&6 Long Chain Polyunsaturated fatty acids, Protein and 27 key vitamins and minerals. Specially made to satisfy the growth needs of Asian children aged one to seven, the new and improved Morinaga Chil-kid is completely free from sucrose and features enhanced amounts of Calcium and Vitamin D.

Backed by more than 100 years of Morinaga R&D in Japan, Morinaga Chil-kid’s formulation is based on the international standard of growing up milk formula and the latest scientific research. Wholly produced and packed in the Netherlands, the milk goes through a double inspection process in the Netherlands and in Japan before it is exported to Malaysia.