Boosting Their Creativity Helps Kids Face Life's Challenges, Study Finds
U.S. News & World Report By Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Just like adults, kids face daily stressors.
Luckily, a new study suggests that teaching them creative thinking can help them manage it all.
Researchers found that when school-age children learned some "narrative creativity" techniques -- such as shifting your perspective and imagining "what if" scenarios -- they quickly became better problem-solvers.
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After a week-long creativity camp, or even just a single lesson, kids showed more confidence in their ability to face life's daily problems and come up with a "plan B" when necessary.
The study was small, based on 60 kids attending the same summer camp. But experts said the findings just make sense.
When kids can think flexibly, they are less likely to "panic" in the face of challenge, said study author Angus Fletcher, a professor at Ohio State University.
Instead of simply giving up, he said, they are more apt to hunt for alternative solutions -- a capacity called resilience.
