Creativity, Cooperation, and Communication

What Are They Good For?

Creativity

What makes a person creative? Is it the ability to wield a paintbrush, bringing an image to life on canvas? Is it the ability to sculpt clay into a breathtaking likeness of a living being? Is it composing music? Is it a gardener's ability to landscape in colors that flow through the garden like a vivid sunset?

People will readily give Monet, Beethoven, and Van Gogh credit for being creative souls, but likening one's own creativity to that of such revered figures is usually unthinkable. In fact, many people will deny having any creative ability at all. Artistic creativity is what most people think of when they hear the word creative, and the artistic genius of Monet, Beethoven, and Van Gogh is indeed rare. But creativity isn't just about art. What, then, is it about?

Creativity is a thought process that allows for much experimentation. It's a fresh way of looking at old situations. It's a unique perspective. It's the ability to perceive situations or our surroundings in a new and unusual manner. Our world is filled with creative individuals — sometimes where we'd least expect them. When Charles Menches ran out of dishes in which to serve his ice cream at the 1904 World's Fair, he didn't panic: he created the ice cream cone. And when Bette Nesmith Graham, a single mother, went to work as a typist to support her children in 1951, she found she wasn't always accurate. To remedy the situation, she created what she called Mistake Out. Twenty-eight years later she sold her invention — renamed White Out — to the Gillette Corporation for $47.5 million.

Think about other innovations that shape our daily lives. Thomas Edison was thinking outside the box, way before the term was cool, when he lit up our nights. The world we live in would look quite different today without Bill Gates and Henry Ford. And without creativity, we would never have known the Chia Pet, the Swiffer, or the Clapper. Creative people thought of many of the items we take for granted today. They imagined an entirely new invention or expanded on an old one to create a completely new idea.

Creative thinkers of the future will have the opportunity to solve many problems — and there are plenty to go around. The search for a cure to the common cold has been fruitless. The coils on refrigerators get dusty, toilet seats are left up, and diapers still need to be changed. When some creative soul comes along with a solution for these problems, our world will indeed change for the better.

"Why didn't I think of that?" How many times have you said that to yourself upon seeing a new product or clever idea? People just like you dreamed up these innovations, but they had something else going for them: they were creative problem solvers.

Creative thinking isn't only about inventing products, though. Attacking a problem from a different angle and coming up with a solution can also result in successful plans and ideas that will benefit all involved. For years, our nation has struggled with difficult problems that won't be solved until someone thinks of a new solution. The energy crisis comes and goes without ever reaching a suitable conclusion. Our waste continues to overwhelm us, filling up landfills in spite of our recycling efforts. Poverty levels are high, and homelessness is much more common than it should be in our wealthy nation. Just imagine the problems that future generations could overcome if parents and teachers learned to guide children and young adults toward creative thinking skills!

If there's any doubt in your mind about the desirability of a creative mind, consider this: classified ads are rife with employers seeking "creative self-starters" and prospective college students are encouraged to show creativity in their enrollment applications. Kids well versed in the art of creative thinking will have a jump start in life.

Teaching a group of kids to problem solve creatively is a task well worth undertaking. It is also a job that takes patience, tenacity, and some creativity of your own. If you've picked up this book, it is likely that you understand the need for adults to encourage creativity in young people. But how do you go about teaching kids to think creatively?

Creativity can't be taught in the same manner that math, for example, can be taught. There are no facts to memorize, no right or wrong answers. Creativity is difficult to quantify. In a classroom setting, students who correctly answer questions or solve problems are rewarded with high marks. But, in life, once we leave the confines of the school setting, very few of the decisions we make have a single, correct answer. Life offers plenty of options along the way, minus an instruction manual or answer key. As in life, with creative thinking there is seldom a right answer. Creativity is a thought process that can be encouraged through open-ended learning activities, discussions, and challenges. Enter Team Challenges. Each task in this book provides the opportunity to expand the mind and solve problems in multiple ways, all while having fun.

Fostering creativity among children and young adults is something that should be a priority for every parent, teacher, and group leader. Kids will grow into creative adults only if we provide opportunities for exploring a variety of possibilities and allow them to express their ideas in a setting free of judgment, ridicule, or comparison. Creative thinking is a skill that can be encouraged in every person on earth. And well it should be. Creative thinkers are able to freely express unique ideas, solve problems, and act in a resourceful manner, all of which are assets to society.

Cooperation

Remember back in grade school, when report cards happily proclaimed, "Works well with others"? Getting along with our peers was an important part of our day. As adults, we no longer depend on such a proclamation; however, our interactions with others do earn us a reputation that often precedes us. The adult version of "works well with others" is a glowing recommendation from a friend or coworker. People who are easy to get along with, dependable, and considerate of others' ideas will naturally gain the respect of the people they deal with.

Teaching kids to work together as a group maximizes their understanding of teamwork, creates a feeling of belonging and trust, and encourages creative problem solving. Students have the opportunity to learn as part of a group when they work together toward a common goal....