Think it up: Engage your children in this unique workshop that tests their abilities

Kids work with newspapers during a previous workshop

If we ask you to come up with a way to eat noodles without using a fork, what will you do? And don't give us the looks because this question has nothing to do with table manners. On the contrary, it is intended to prod you to think outside the box, or as Butool Abbas tells us, "Test your divergent thinking skills." This Sunday, a hands-on creative confidence demo workshop conducted by Abbas will pose such fun, quirky and stimulating questions to children along with a host of other activities to mould them in creative confidence. But first, what does the term mean?

Children work in groups to create prototypes of their ideas on climate change at the US Consulate General, Mumbai. Pics courtesy/Thinkizm

Abbas explains, "Creative confidence is one's belief in their ability to come up with ideas in any chaotic life situation - and the courage to act on them. Most of us tend to think in a convergent manner which is basically a single solution to whatever problem you are facing. Divergent thinking allows you to view an issue from multiple stand points. It gives you the space to analyse your own ideas and not be biased towards one."

Students from a Santacruz-based school work on a model for cleaner roads in Mumbai

Abbas is the founder of Thinkizm Learning Labs, a movement dedicated to creating a culture of thinking that promotes originality and creativity. Her master's degree in design from IIT Kanpur, and experience of conducting these workshops with children as well as adults has led her to devise innovative strategies to help participants unlearn patterns and work effectively in limited resource environments.

A model of a reimagined classroom

"The idea is to break assumptions that often stop us from considering alternatives. We will use everyday objects like paper, cardboard and duct tapes as resources for the exercises to make it both simple and invigorating for the children," the Kanjurmarg resident shares.

A detailed prototype of a reconceptualised school

Along with discussions, the session will have three major activities; the imagination quest, the curiosity quest and the maker's quest that will push children to build specific mindsets as they devise methods to approach a problem. The activities will be both individual and group-based with focus on igniting children's curiosity and discovering their creative potential. "In this day and age when reliance on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and chatbots have increased it is more important than ever to have original thinkers in our society and who better to start with than children," she tells us before signing off.

Butool Abbas

ON April 13; 10 am to 12 noon
AT Nautilus at Candies, 5AA, Pali Hill, Bandra West.
LOG ON TO @thinkizmlearninglabs (to register)
COST Rs 200 (for children between 9 to 12 years of age)