Creative Expression

1 Creativity: An Introduction Infants are born with a natural drive to explore and make sense of the world around them. They are curious explorers, and they wonder how and why things work the way they do. Their natural curiosity and creativity are enhanced and supported through nurturing, responsive relationships with their families and caregivers. This lesson will further explore and define what creativity looks like with infants and toddlers and it will offer an opportunity to think about the importance of creative expression for young children. 2 Cultivating Creativity and Innovation: Experiences and Activities Curiosity, exploration, and experimentation help infants and toddlers learn about the world, themselves, and the people around them. This lesson will help you learn more about creating experiences and activities that encourage these skills to support creativity in infants and toddlers. 3 Cultivating Creativity and Innovation: Environments and Materials The materials you include in your program help set the stage for an engaging learning environment for infants and toddlers, which supports their exploration, experimentation, and curiosity. This lesson will highlight materials that promote creativity for infants and toddlers and it will share information about choosing materials that support the strengths, needs, and interests of the infants and toddlers in your care. 4 Fostering Creativity: The Infant and Toddler Caregiver Your own creativity influences the types of materials and experiences that you offer infants and toddlers and how you model and encourage young children to express their creativity. This lesson highlights the significance of being a creative infant-and-toddler caregiver and provides insights on how to promote creativity when engaging with infants, toddlers, families, and colleagues. It also examines the importance of self-reflection and collaborative, supportive relationships in developing creativity.