For us who grew up in Samoa, the whole farm is our playground. I always smile when I get an arrival declaration card on the plane with “Have you been on a farm in the last 3o days?” Yes, the whole of Samoa is a farm, I’ve been on a farm my whole life!  

There is a lot to discover and walking outside barefoot was always a good idea until we discovered dog poop, bugs and other little dangers outside. In our reading group, 90 per cent of the children cannot read. Some between the ages of 7–12 cannot even spell or say four letter words. It’s an emergency in our education system that needs to be addressed. We are so focussed on technologically advancing systems, protocols and making things sound great on paper, yet the basics of reading, writing and comprehension is lacking.

This major gap is not just for the rural areas, it’s everywhere in Samoa. It doesn’t matter how cheap or expensive the school fees are, you will find two sets of students in every classroom here. You will also find two kinds of parenting outside of those classrooms. There are no dumb kids, there are just motivated and unmotivated learners. There are students who look forward to learning and going to school. This group gets more support and advice too compared to the unmotivated, slower learners.   

One thing that all students in our group love? Creative crafts or artwork. It’s not just colouring or painting. Puzzles and learning through colour play a huge role in motivating students. Creativity can be found in all students as long as they are given time and space for it.   

Some things to think about: 

1. Embrace everyday creativity. Does your child want to experiment and dip crayons in water and spread the paint on fabric? Let them do it. Does your little one love dresses only and refuses to wear shorts and shirts even though you spent money on those? How about mismatched socks? Sure why not? 

Infants and toddlers are easily developing their own personality and preferences. We will not always agree on their clothing, discovery choices and author Carey Pace recommends that we keep these questions in mind:

A: is this an issue of safety?
B: is this a character issue?
C: does this affect others negatively?

2. Provide resources and space  that will allow creativity. Whether it’s buying a stick glue or allowing your child to collect different leaves from outside or even buying that painting box for your budding artist to try, we can provide these for our children. We or they might not know how creative they are unless we support it. Other ways to introduce creative projects are simple jewellery making or craft making. Think about beads, fresh floral lei and other materials that are inexpensive. I remember trying to do these as a kid, oh the mess and the complaints from the babysitters! There was even a hiding or two. Today, I create and sell jewellery because this is a good creative outlet from my everyday work. Earning money on the side for community projects is a bonus.

3. Focus on effort and experimentation rather than grades. Compliment your child on effort and not on the result. Getting an A isn’t always the best thing for your child. There is a lot of learning through failures and team work. These are the lessons that they will use when they go off to work or running their own businesses. 

4. Questions and questions: Ask questions to help them stretch their critical thinking and to set an example for them to follow.

5. Depending on on the age of your child, let them do it themselves without us hovering over them or telling them off about the mess or mistakes. When children are left to explore on their own and all they have is their imagination and limited resources. You’d be surprised at what they come up with. There is no wrong way to learn in creativity unless it’s a safety issue. Wear gloves or goggles, a mask and take the proper precautions for older age groups.

Enjoy the rest of the week and look out for your child’s creativity. It is good for learning and mental health.