Kidville The Woodlands offers 'Genius in Training' program

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- The play-centric learning center for young children is embracing imagination and make-believe in its new Creative Drama classes for 3 to 6 year olds. Debuting in the upcoming semester that begins January 13, the class will run Tuesday mid-morning, as well as Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday in the afternoon.

Participating students will spend 45 minutes letting their imaginations soar as they explore familiar stories through pantomime, games, creative movement, imagery and improvisation. Taught by Kidville owner and theater-arts educated Karen Roberts, the class will encourage independent thought, cooperation between students, and problem solving.

"The movers and shakers of this world are the creative thinkers," Roberts says. "They're the problem solvers, the ones who come up with the new ideas. This is why I refer to this class as our 'Genius in Training' program because children are learning at a very young age to think outside the box."

While the rigors of elementary education and increased testing in education have forced children to exhibit proficiency at reading and writing at younger ages, imagination and creativity serve vital roles in child development and intellectual advancement.

"Experiences in problem solving help children develop curiosity and patience, along with thinking skills such as flexibility, and understanding of cause and effect. They learn to work toward achieving a goal, and gain confidence in their ability to reach a solution," according to research from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. "Parents who have tired of the current trend of helicoptering over their children will be relieved to let them use their imaginations and learn valuable lessons that will serve them well into adulthood."

The Creative Drama class is all about guided discovery. Roberts will take a familiar poem like Little Miss Muffet and ask the children to play the role of spiders and share their opinions on the taste of her porridge or the comfort of her tuffet. The Three Little Pigs will afford children the opportunity to demonstrate their own version of a wolf in a safe, nurturing environment where they can explore with gentle guidance.

"Three plus three equals six, but how your pig talks is up to you. We look at problems and find different ways to solve them," Roberts explains. "We are not looking for an answer, we are looking at the possibilities."