At the Kazim Bacchus Research Seminar (KBRS), Rumana Husain, a distinguished writer, artist, and educator, delivered a presentation titled “Nurturing Creativity through Arts in Early Childhood Education." The session explored how arts-based activities support children's creativity and contribute to their cognitive, emotional, and social development, highlighting the importance of integrating arts into early childhood learning.
In her talk, Rumana Husain emphasized that children naturally express themselves through drawing, storytelling, music, and imaginative play. However, in many educational systems, the arts are often treated as extracurricular activities rather than an essential part of children's learning and development.
To illustrate her ideas, she shared personal examples from her family life. She showed a short video of her grandson engaging in creative expression and explained how children develop imagination when they are given the freedom to explore and create. She also described how her granddaughters once used simple household items, such as bed sheets, to dress up and perform a play for their grandparents. According to Hussain, such spontaneous acts of creativity demonstrate how children use art, storytelling, and role-play to express ideas and emotions.
Drawing on educational theories such as Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences and the Reggio Emilia approach, the speaker explained that arts play a crucial role in children's cognitive, emotional, and social development. Creative activities help children develop problem-solving skills, communication abilities, empathy, and confidence.
She also highlighted the cultural importance of arts in multicultural societies like Pakistan. Artistic activities such as storytelling, folk traditions, and crafts can help children connect with their cultural heritage while also promoting understanding and inclusivity among diverse communities.
The session concluded with a brief question-and-answer segment, where participants engaged with the speaker and shared their perspectives on integrating arts into early childhood education. Rumana Husain responded to the questions by emphasizing the importance of providing children with supportive environments that encourage creativity and self-expression.
Overall, the session highlighted the need to integrate arts into everyday learning experiences in early childhood education. By nurturing creativity through artistic expression, educators can support holistic child development and create more engaging learning environments for young children.
Rapporteur – Sumbul Mussa – Alumni AKU-IED
