EEC 2312 - Developing Creative Activities for Young Children

College of Education

Credit(s): 3
Contact Hours: 47
Effective Term Fall 2024 (640)

Course Description

This course focuses on developing appropriate creative teaching and learning strategies for children from infancy to age eight. Assignments engage students to purposefully plan lessons for young children to have active, meaningful play experiences. Students will have the opportunity to explore how creative arts and play influence the young child’s development. (Note: This course requires 10 field experience hours in early childhood care and education settings.)

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

  1. The student will examine the concept of creativity in young children from infancy to age eight by:
    1. defining creativity and discussing ways young children and adults benefit from creative experiences.
    2. outlining strategies designed to foster, enhance, promote, and infuse creativity in early childhood settings.
    3. describing a range of multicultural strategies designed to foster and encourage divergent and creative thinking in young children.
    4. identifying appropriate practices/techniques for inclusion in early childhood settings.
    5. extending activities based on children’s interests.
  2. The student will articulate how play influences the development of the young child by:
    1. recognizing the types of play characteristic of infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school age children.
    2. defining the following stages of play: onlooker, solitary, parallel, associative, and cooperative play.
    3. identifying the role of supportive adults in providing resources for play-space, materials and equipment.
    4. describing the importance of time for child-initiated activities and learning.
  3. The student will explain the relationships between creative arts and the development of young children by:
    1. describing how creative arts fosters self-acceptance and positive self-esteem with young children.
    2. discussing how creative arts promotes a child’s physical, cognitive, and social emotional growth.
  4. The student will apply content knowledge of creative arts by:
    1. preparing and implementing creative activities and experiences designed for use in the early childhood setting.
    2. examining activities presented in the early childhood classroom.
    3. utilizing creative arts vocabulary in practice.
  5. The student will apply current research related to creative activities by:
    1. discussing the importance of integrating creative arts in the whole learning environment to include some of the following: language arts, storytelling and reading, art, music, and movement.
    2. interpreting articles in current early childhood journals and research relevant to creative arts.

Criteria Performance Standard

Upon successful completion of the course the student will, with a minimum of 70% accuracy, demonstrate mastery of each of the above stated objectives through classroom measures developed by individual course instructors.

History of Changes

Revised 7/6/83 Revised 8/84 DBT 10/20/92 Effective Session 19922 3 YR C&I Review 1992-93 C&I 11/95; DBT 12/95 Effective Session 19961 3 Year Review 2000 C&I 11/8/05, BOT 12/20/05, Effective 20052(0360: 2005 3-year review. C&I Approval: 05/31/2013, BOT Approval: 08/05/2013, Effective Term: Spring 2014 (480).
C&I Approval: 02/17/2024, BOT Approval: 03/19/2024, Effective Term: Fall 2024 (640)

Related Programs

  1. Child Development Associate/other child care credential (to CHDEV-CT) (CDA4IC-AR) (620) (Active)
  2. Child Development Associate/other child care credential (to GEN-AA) (CDA1IC-AR) (620) (Active)
  3. Child Development Associate/other child care credential (to PRSP-CT) (CDA3IC-AR) (620) (Active)
  4. Early Child Development (CHDEV-CT) (640) (Active)
  5. Early Childhood Education - PCS (ECEDHS-AR) (625) (Active)
  6. Early Childhood Education Apprenticeship PTC (CHDEVAP-AR) (625) (Active)
  7. Early Childhood Education PCS (CHDEVHS-AR) (625) (Active)
  8. Early Childhood Education PTC (CHDEVTC-AR) (625) (Active)
  9. Preschool Specialization Certificate (PRSP-CT) (495) (Active)