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Why Is Creativity So Crucial?

It's 6:30 p.m., and my 3-year-old dauhter, Sophie, is !usily turnin her supper into a science e"periment. #irst shedrops some peas into her mil$. %hen she adds a s&uirt o mustard, shovels in some chic$en and rice, and stirs it all up.%he concoction loo$s as ross as you miht imaine. (ut I'm ine )ith it. Sophie's eaten plenty, and she's havin a!last. (esides, she's doin more than ma$in a mess. *ccordin to e"perts, Sophie is e"perimentin, learnin to !e

persistent, and comin up )ith ne) solutions to pro!lems -- creative s$ills that )ill serve her )ell in school, in )or$,and in lie.

+urturin creativity is one o the most important thins you can do or your child,+ says Wendy asi, h/, dean o theailman Seal Institute o Childhood Studies at ova Southeastern niversity, in #ort 1auderdale, and author oToddler Play. e) research indicates that a child's imaination &uotient 2a$a +the other I+4 may !e a !ier actor inpredictin academic success than the more traditional measure o aptitude, her intellience &uotient. +5ou )ant yourchild to !e an oriinal thin$er, to understand that there isn't al)ays one riht ans)er to every situation,+ says /r.asi.

(ut that's a tall order or parents. #or one thin, schools are increasinly test-driven these days. ven many preschoolsemphasi7e academics at the e"pense o unstructured play. %here's also a pro!lem )ith lots o so-called +educational+toys or youn $ids. Interactive ames that !eep )hen a child provides the riht ans)er may !e entertainin, !ut theydon't re&uire the creative input that youn $ids need to learn. either do /8/s desined to teach $ids a!out num!ers,letters, or music.

+%here is a real ris$ that )e are underminin children's creative potential,+ says /imitri Christa$is, /, coauthor oThe Elephant in the Living Room: Make Television Work for Your Kids. %he *merican *cademy o ediatrics arees. Itrecently issued a report callin or parents to spend more time playin )ith their $ids -- and to ocus on simple, old-ashioned toys instead p hih-tech ones.

Blocks

(loc$s are )idely considered the perect creative learnin toys, since they allo) children to !uild and invent )ithoutdirection or !oundaries. In a recent study at the niversity o Washinton in Seattle, researchers ave amilies )ith

toddlers a set o )ooden !loc$s and suestions or +!loc$tivities+ they could do toether, such as sortin !y si7e orcolor. Si" months later, the $ids )ith the !loc$s scored 9 percent hiher in a lanuae-development test than acontrol roup o children )ho didn't have them.

(ut !uildin toys are ;ust one )ay to unleash your child's imaination. %o raise a creative child, you need to thin$ outo the !o" yoursel.

Schedule downtime.Set aside at least

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