Guest Author - Elsa Neal

Creativity chat with Kris Bordessa, part 2, covering how to get children to participate in creative activities

(Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10)

Participants:

Elsa Neal, Creativity Editor, BellaOnline
Kris Bordessa, author of Team Challenges
Megan Romer, Board Games Editor, BellaOnline
Writermom
Bonnie Sayers, Autism Spectrum Disorders Editor, BellaOnline
Candlepassion

Elsa
"I think adults could have great fun with these tasks. The tasks are adaptable too, aren't they? – Allowing more or fewer materials, more or less time... depending on age."


Kris
"Absolutely. I don't know about fewer materials - that would work in some case, but not others. However, materials are easily substituted and as you know, I have a complete list of possible substitutes in the book.

As for time, I very much encourage flexibility there. If a challenge calls for five minutes, but the team is new to this kind of thing, the leader may wish to bump it up a bit."


Writermom
"My boys are 4 and 7."


Bonnie
"My son is almost 11 and in fourth grade. He currently attends weekly social skills class with two other boys and a girl, my son is the youngest and the boys are in 5th grade, 6th grade and the girl is 14. They all have autism.


Kris
"Are these activities something that you will try and share with your son's class?"


Bonnie
"The class has facilitators and I attend therapy with my other son while he is attending this class.

The facilitator usually lets the kids lead in what activity they do, and they go from there."


Kris
"Writermom, your 4 year old would be able to participate in some of these activities, such as the verbal challenges (great for car rides!)

They are simple creativity starters such as *name things that roll*

Your 4 year old will have different answers than your 7 year old, but they can both participate to get as many as they can together."


Elsa
"Kris, how do you get your children to participate if they are in a really bad mood - eg, arguing in the back of the car?"


Kris
"Usually, if they are grousing at one another, I can give them a challenge or two to distract them. With the verbal challenges, anyway, they don't HAVE to cooperate. Sometimes one will want to play, and then when the other sees that we're having fun, will join in."


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Team Challenges by Kris Bordessa is available from Amazon.com

Kris Bordessa is also the author of Tools of the Ancient Greeks : A Kid's Guide to the History & Science of Life in Ancient Greece