New World Kids: The Parents’ Guide To Creative Thinking

Do you ever feel like school, state standardized tests, peer pressure – all the things that are such a part of our children’s lives so early now are stifling their creativity.  I remember going out to play and making up games to play outside, but I see less and less of that now.  Children spend more time on the couch playing video games and watching tv. As this happens, creative thought is being pushed aside. I have worked hard to keep creativity in our house, by limiting how much electronic time is allowed per day, buying board games, arts and crafts, and insisting on outside play, but I’m always looking for ways to make sure that my daughter is able to successfully play “make believe” while she’s young and then later to use that creativity more maturely to find answers and solutions to life.  New World Kids: The Parents Guide to Creative Thinking by Susan Marcus and Susie Monday caught my attention immediately.  I mean I’ve tried “my ways” for 9 years, but never thought of any formal plan to encouraging creative thinking.

Marcus and Monday combined their experience and research from founding Learning About Learning Educational Foundation, a Texas-based institution conducting aplied research in creativity, individuality, media, and play. That research can be read in New World Kids where we (as parents) “can recognize and foster children’s individual creativity to create innovative thinkers for the 21st century.”

This book is sort of a “How-To” book for parents (now many times have we wished for that?).  It goes through and analyzes just what is creative thinking. It is important for us to realize that creative is nothing something you have or don’t – it’s something that can be taught.  And then the book reveals how by teaching your students to use the Sensory Alphabet – color, line, shape, sound, texture, light, movement, space, and rhythm.

What did I think about the book?  First, the book was hard for me to read.  It took me two or three times to read the 200 pages than it typically takes me to read a book.  It was like I was reading one of my school textbooks.   However, with that said the information was WONDERFUL.  The ideas to encourage creative thought were such good ones.  I’ve alreayd started paying attention to situations and incorporate the use of the “sensory alphabet” in our daily lives from time to time. Another thing I liked was that while the writing was “formal” and not very entertaining, the book was full of pictures and color that broke up the reading some.  I also am a quote person so I liked that each chapter started with a quote to relate back to creative thought.

I do think with the rapid pace that this world is evolving, we must raise our children to be ready for the future, and being able to use creative thought will be imperative.  Even the best of parents can use tips and help for the parenting process, and New World Kids: The Parents’ Guide to Creative Thinking is a great book to help with guiding our children to be creative thinkers.

Find more information at the New World Kids website or purchase New World Kids through Amazon.