Kids and Creativity: Give them time to do nothing!
When I was a child in elementary school, we went outside to play after school.  All of the kids on the block came out to play – 10 - 25 at a time. There was no adult supervision.  We simply ran outside after we changed from school clothes into play clothes and began to play what the majority agreed on.
Sometimes the boys played baseball in the street.  They stopped only when a car went by.  There was a non-verbal agreement, that when a car drove up the street in the middle of a play, it was a do-over.  Nobody argued the point – it was how it was.
Sometimes the girls played dolls and cut-outs on someone's porch. Each girl had their own scissors, or, if not, we shared if we needed to.
At times, everyone played kickball in the street. Â Once again, 'street rules' applied.
If there was a disagreement as to who was 'safe' and who was 'out', we argued it out until a decision was reached. Â There was lots of yelling and 'making a case' for one's side, but eventually, it all got sorted out and play resumed. Once again, there was no adult supervision.
In the summer, we would be gone for hours at a time, riding our bikes many miles away from our homes exploring whatever seemed interesting – no matter where it took us.  I'm still not sure how we found our way back home on those days. Â
At other times, we laid on the grass and looked at the clouds – each one describing what we thought we saw. Â
Those were very carefree days – I just didn't realize it at the time. Â
Today, it seems so many of a child's waking hours are taken up by school and lessons of one type or another – so much so that from morning until bedtime, there is a strict schedule of activities. Â
Their lives seem to be very regimented. Do they have enough free time to ponder events and be open to what ideas come into a young mind? Â Can a child create and be innovative when there is constantly a place to be or to go at a certain hour for a certain amount of time. Â I guess time will tell.
