4 Ways To Start Your Child Thinking Creatively

In the July 2009 issue of Young Parents, we explored the trend of a new kind of enrichment for children – thinking courses. In this web exclusive, get ideas to encourage your child to exercise his grey matter.

Think aloud
Model the act of thinking aloud to your kids, so that they learn to express their thoughts, too, says Cheah Sin Wei, director of Thinking Loft. Talk your kids through experiences, for example, on the topic of weather: The clouds are dark and heavy, it might rain soon. From there, you’ll trigger their curiosity and invite more questions from them.

Anything is possible
Come up with scenarios that require him to think out-of-the-box. For example, ask him to list things that cannot be photographed.

You decide!
When the little one has a say, he is encouraged to think about what would make the best decision. For example, when planning a party to celebrate mum’s birthday, he can think of a restaurant which serves mummy’s favourite food, what time of the day to hold it and who to invite. Welcome your child to think of possibilities and to make comparisons between them. However, avoid arguments which are biased and uninformed, Peter Low, director of Edward De Bono Training, points out. The aim of good thinking is to lead to an informed and well-balanced decision, he adds.

Food for thought
During bedtime storytelling, ask younger children to predict what might happen next in the storybook or what a character might do, Sin Wei suggests. For older age group, parents can show their kids newspaper and magazine articles – or even a television programme – and spark off a discussion, Peter adds.