Why do children play? Play is a concept in psychology and sociology considers play to be a mechanism by which children explore the world. However, what is the connection to enhance creativity children have? We know that as creativity takes a sharp downturn around the fourth grade, the act of play begins to diminish as well. Certainly, there is some correlation. In a series of studies going back to 1968 on idea generation, 98% of three year olds scored within the creative genius range. By the time those kids reach the age of 10, this number had declined to 32%. And by the time these kids were adults, that number was only 2% of creative geniuses. There are some correlations between play and creativity that we can measure. Play, like creativity, is a concept that is often difficult to define concretely and depends on the situation. We essentially know it when we see it. However, we know that creativity is a culturally and personally dependent construct, and play is very much the same way. There are some other connections between play and creativity. First, play is by nature intrinsically motivating and never dependent on external rewards. As we've discussed, creativity is not exclusively dependent on intrinsic motivation, but according to Mobele's research, does best when the drive to create and innovate comes from within. Second, both play and creativity are methods in which a set of skills are explored and refined. Both are also mechanisms in which we can explore objects and material use. Children are natural explorers and will often engage in object play, in which they explore all the alternative uses for an object outside of its intended function. We all have evolved biases in which we process objects, which shape our experiences and adaptive behavior. The tendency to not identify alternative uses for objects is called functional fixedness, and is a bias that happens in childhood. One indicator of creativity is to observe children who are observing other children who are doing something with an object or otherwise in a creative or novel way. This is true with adults who are doing something different, novel, or creative, and can be a good indicator when we are looking to measure creative skill. Third, play is identified by a pretend make believe quality according to both play and creativity researchers, including psychologist Csikszentmihalyi as discussed in his notable book, Creativity Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention. Both very much depend on a sense of curiosity and a what if frame of mind. This, when experienced through play, often leads to out-of-the-box type thinking and moments where creative, novel ideas can occur. Finally, when engaged in creative endeavors and in play, we often experience what Csikszentmihalyi has titled a state of flow. Flow theory is defined as the state of mind when one is immersed in an activity through fun, motivation, and happiness, and all outside matters including a sense of time are lost. So in considering these four points, what can we realistically learn about observing children in play, as it relates to creativity in our own lives? One strategy is to identify problems not as a problem statement, which we are often trained to do, but rather as a pattern recognition in which habits, traits, and other reoccurring patterns are identified. This exploration method is seen in children as a way in which to explore social and cultural norms and to test those boundaries, free from real life consequences. In short, taking a step back from a problem you wish to solve and approaching it in a state of play, fun, or happiness, free from consequences, can help encourage creative thinking. Another strategy for idea generation can be explored through visual thinking. This doesn't mean visual arts, but rather a non-verbal Exploration of possible ideas. In figural versions of the Torrance Test, children demonstrate heightened creative elaboration alongside originality, when given a shape and asked to turn it into a picture, or series of pictures. This type of thinking stems from the potential for creative elaboration of simple elements. As children age, we see that many cultural, representational, and simplified images are displayed minimizing the potential for novel and varied responses. Doing these types of incomplete figures and picture construction tasks frequently are one method of non-verbal idea generation, which over time help improve flexibility and originality of answers. These are removed from the unusual uses and common problems approach we see with verbal attribute listening. A third strategy is using verbal stimuli as an attribute listing to mimic object use in child's play. Remember all the uses you can do with a brick? This type of activity is using Guilford and later, Torrance's tests of unusual uses. Given an object and an hour to play, young children will explore the potential of tools for realistic and imaginary opportunities. The important thing to note is that, prior to the fourth grade, children are able to list a range of answers when asked, what can you do with a brick, or another object, because they have a limited awareness of a wrong answer. Part of play exists as an opportunity for children to explore the world, free from judgment And be curious, which contributes to heightened ability to generate fluent, flexible, and original answers. A large number of varied and unique answers to a given prompt. The many facets and uses of play all have a role in the different forms of creative idea generation and exploration. Some evidence suggests certain types of play, such as creating elaborate paracosms or fantasy play involving make-believe and alternate worlds, as a child are an indicator of above-average creative ability as an adult. Creating elaborate games as a child also suggests a potential for creative elaboration as an adult. In finding methods of creative idea generation techniques that work best for you, it might help to think about how you play to the kid, and how what inspired your curiosity and internal motivation. Approaching problems from this standpoint is invaluable in developing a consistent range of creative ideas. As Picasso said, every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. He was speaking of creativity, doing things differently free from judgment, and staying curious, staying playful and fun. And creativity is an important part of being able to generate many fluent, flexible, and original ideas.
