Our "not a....." activities are some of our most treasured activities at Tinkergarten. These open-ended invitations activate kids' creativity and let them know that the only limitation is their own imaginations. In this "not a plate" activity, kids are invited to make a mask with materials from nature.
The Guide
Set Up: Cut two holes for eyes in a paper plate. Gather some nature treasures, glue and a stick. Glue or tape one side of the stick onto the bottom of the plate.
Invite Play: Show your child the plate and ask, “Do you know what this is? It’s not just a plate, it’s a mask!” Invite your child to share their ideas about what kind of mask it could be. A face that looks like theirs? A special animal? A superhero mask? Look at the nature treasures you gathered and wonder out loud what your child could use to make the face on their mask. What could they use to be the eyes? Nose? Mouth? Ears? If they are making a face of an animal creature, what could they use to be the fur, scales or feathers?
Support Play: As kids set to work making their mask, wonder each of the features might give them special powers or skills. Do the eyes allow them to see at night or see animals from far away? Do the ears allow them to hear even the quietest of sounds? Do the feathers allow them to fly or stay warm in cold temperatures? Invite kids to search outside for additional materials to add to their mask. Once dried, invite your child to try out their mask and pretend to move or play like a super creature.
Why is this activity great for kids?
Masks are a marvelous tool for taking on the perspective of another creature or person, and they allow kids to experiment with different emotions and build empathy. Creating and wearing a prop or costume is also a super way to help kids enter into creative and imaginary play.
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By creativity, we mean the ability to both imagine original ideas or solutions to problems and actually do what needs to be done to make them happen. So, to help kids develop creativity, we parents need to nurture kids' imaginations and give them lots of chances to design, test, redesign and implement their ideas.
"Creativity is as important now in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.”
Why, you ask? For one, it is through being creative that a person is able to get senses, sensibility and spirit working together. Simply put, without creativity, we don't think our kids will live a full life.
On a more practical level, it's also the means by which humans of all ages make an impact on the world and other people around them. A lot of heavy stuff is going to go down in our kids' lifetime, and their generation will need to imagine and implement solutions to big and very complicated problems. Although our kids are still far from public office or the boardroom, today's political and business leaders worldwide are already pointing to creativity as the most important leadership quality for the future.
Although years from the art studio or design lab, little kids can learn to think and act creatively if you give them time and the right practice.
Empathy
Category:
Social Skills
What is Empathy?
Simply put, empathy is the ability to think and care about the feelings and needs of others. The good news is, the more we study, it appears that children are empathetic by nature. All we need to do is nurture it in them—that of course is now always easy. Even though young children are simply working on gaining control over their emotions and won’t learn to really think about their emotions and the cause and effect of their behavior on others until their school years, they can start to develop the foundation for empathy much earlier. Taking actions (and watching adults take actions) that benefit other people, caring for animals and their environment and even just wondering how other people or creatures are feeling helps build both positive habits and a strong base for the development of empathy.
Why does it matter?
Empathy is at the root of what psychologists call “pro-social” behavior—behavior that people must develop in order to develop a conscience, build close relationships, maintain friendships, and develop strong communities. Empathy also helps kids avoid bullying, one of the most worrisome social challenges young kids face. Being able to think and feel for others can keep kids from becoming either bully or victim and equip them to stand up for others who are bullied. Imagine if all kids had such tools!
Age: 0 to 8+
Time: 1 hour+
Materials: nature treasures, paper plate, stick, glue and tape
