Workplace Readiness Skill-4-Creativity and Innovation (PDF)

Workplace Readiness Skill Activity Sheet Personal Qualities and Abilities Skill 4 Creativity and Innovation Too often, we think of creativity in terms of visual arts, such as painting, or performance arts like acting. However, creativity is a necessary skill in many, if not most, jobs. Being creative and innovative means thinking of new and resourceful ways to solve problems and doing new things. Description of Creativity and Innovation Having creativity and innovation means you employ originality, inventiveness, and resourcefulness in the workplace. Examples of creativity and innovation: • Use a wagon to bring in a lot of groceries at one time instead of making multiple trips. • Paint a beautiful mural on a blank wall. Menu of Activities These activities are designed to help families discuss and practice creativity and innovation. Choose one or more activities to complete with your child. Activity 1: Circle Maker 1. Have a family discussion on what it means to be creative and innovative using the definition above. For example: If you work at a grocery store and come up with a simpler method for bringing in grocery carts this is creativity and innovation. 2. Have each family member discuss a way they have been creative and/or innovative at home, school, or work. 3. Ask each family member to draw 10 circles on a piece of paper. a) Set a timer for 2 minutes. b) Turn each circle into something else. Don’t worry about quality. It doesn’t matter if you draw well. c) Have family members share the pictures they created. d) Discuss what was easy and what was challenging about creating something new.  Skill 4: Creativity and Innovation Page 2 Activity 2: 7-Day Project 1. Choose a creative task that you want to do each day for 7 days. For example: Create a dance video, take photos, make posters, create a different sandwich, draw a dream, write a new line to a song, write a new paragraph to a story, devise a different football play, learn new coding technique, bake a new tasty treat, develop one solution to a world problem, etc.! 2. Try using an app to help with managing daily projects like Trello (trello.com). 3. Record each day’s progress. You may also choose to share the progress daily on social media. 4. At the end of the 7 days, have your child share their 7-Day Project with your family and teacher. Activity 3: Seeing Creativity in Action 1. Use magazines, photo albums, yearbooks, or other sources to identify famous people, teachers, family members, or friends being creative. 2. Talk about what makes them creative and innovative. 3. Share that your child is creative like the people they saw in the pictures, even if it is in a different way. 4. Have your child demonstrate their creativity by doing things like: • Creating a drawing or craft • Writing a story or poem • Helping to organize a closet, cabinet, or refrigerator in the home • Developing an activity for a younger sibling or pets Reflection Review the questions with your child and respond together after completing the activities. • Did this information help your family better understand demonstrating creativity and innovation? • What was easy or hard about learning and practicing this skill? • Why is this skill important to use at home and at work? • How do we continue to practice this skill in the home and in the community? • What additional information or resources do I need to continue to practice this skill with my child? CenterOnTransition.org The contents were developed under a contract (881-APE62524-H027A190107) from the Virginia Department of Education. An equal opportunity affirmative action university.