Creativity researchers are increasingly interested in understanding when, how, and for whom creativity can be beneficial. Previous reviews have demonstrated that creativity research largely ignores the study of its impact on factors that promote health, and well-being among populations of adults. It is unclear, in fact, whether this gap in…

Creativity and technology are two vital elements of 21st century learning. Increasingly, educational policies internationally are acknowledging the importance of developing children's problem solving, innovation and computational thinking skills. It is also clear that children are spending more time accessing digital technologies both at home and…

Loose parts is often an ambiguous term with different interpretations depending on the context. Using the search parameters, a scoping review was implemented to narrow down over 2,400 articles related to "loose parts," "early childhood," and "outdoor classrooms" to 15 articles for in-depth review. From the selected…

With the increasing use of robotics in education, this study examined the influence of educational robotics on K-12 students' creativity and problem-solving skills by using Meta-analysis on 20 typical studies published from 2011 to 2021. Subsequent results exhibited five major points: 1) The overall effect of educational robotics was at 0.821; 2)…

Ever wonder what draws teachers to the field of early childhood education? Do you have the personal attributes needed? Unlike knowledge or skills, which can be developed, dispositions are personal characteristics involving the socioemotional and spiritual realms, rooted in feelings and beliefs. Colker reviews the literature on teacher…

Notes that children learn by playing and by experiencing the satisfaction of having made something happen and that their capacity to use objects in their play appears to be helped or hindered by the attitudes of their parents, which contribute to the children's capacity for creativity. (FL)

Reviews literature on the transformational nature of creativity, in which the individual, during and after interacting with his or her environment, takes information provided by the culture and transforms it based on previous experience. Notes that young children can develop transformational ability through dramatic play in which they are involved…

Theorizes that dramatic play involves and can potentially develop the three conditions that promote and characterize creativity--interaction, transformation, and imagination. Notes that children involved in dramatic play are enhancing their creativity and potential for creative work. (TM)

This article explores Katz (1987) goals for children's learning within the early childhood environment. The focus is on employing the environment as the third teacher, and how the environment can support knowledge, skills, dispositions and feelings is presented and discussed.

Examined the relationship between dramatic play and creativity from three perspectives: (1) the existing theories related to the association; (2) the research on this issue; and (3) some situational factors of dramatic play related to this relationship. Most of the research supports the relationship between dramatic play and creativity, noting the…

Reviews two sets of play theories, classical and modern, noting that the reason and purpose for play are explained by classical theories; the role of play in child development, determined by modern theories. States that process of play has dual functions of personal expression and social adaptation. Examines the relationship between play and…

This article discusses commonalities among experts' descriptions of creative individuals, including rational thinking, high levels of emotional development, talent, and higher levels of consciousness. Maintains that creativity studies justify the development of educational creativity training programs. Asserts that teachers can promote children's…

Reviews research on adult intervention in children's dramatic play, citing theorists and researchers who believe that intervention is not useful at all; a balance can be struck between intervention and nonintervention; and only tutors should intervene to increase children's creativity. Concludes that most research supports appropriate intervention…

Research findings on the measurement of creativity in young children are reviewed, focusing on construct validity, relationship between response quality and quantity, and situational factors affecting scores. The article concludes that creativity is measurable in young children, but current methods rely on inappropriate unidimensional forms of…

This paper explores the development of humor, the positive potential of young children's humor, and resources for harnessing the energy of humor. The literature on humor is dominated by two theoretical streams: psychoanalytic theory, which recognizes humor as a vehicle for expressing emotions, particularly unacceptable emotions; and cognitive…