Why Creativity in Education Matters — and How Microschools Are Bringing It Back

I recently saw a post from a public school teacher who gave her second-grade class a “Yes Day.”

The idea was simple: the kids could come up with anything they wanted to do—as long as it was safe and they could clean up afterward—and the teacher would say yes.

She shared the list her students created and talked about how amazing the day was. The kids loved it.

Here’s what they asked for:

But here’s what struck me: their “dreams” weren’t wild at all.

They asked for things like comfort, movement, and a little more freedom — things that should already be part of school.

Nothing was too big. Nothing pushed the boundaries of imagination.

And that’s what made me sad.

Because at 8 years old, children should still be bursting with imagination, curiosity, and wonder.A Yes Day should inspire wild, joyful, silly requests. Instead, these kids had already learned to keep their dreams inside the lines.

The Problem: How Traditional Schools Shrink Creativity

In so many classrooms, creativity gets chipped away little by little. We reward compliance over curiosity. We teach children to sit still, follow directions, and “color inside the lines.”

Over time, they stop asking big questions. They stop suggesting bold ideas. They forget how to imagine.

Research backs this up — the American Psychological Association has found that creativity directly supports problem-solving, confidence, and critical thinking, yet many school environments unintentionally suppress it.

At Fáilte Microschool, Creativity Is Protected

At Fáilte Microschool, a small, relationship-based program in Norristown, Pennsylvania, serving families across the Philadelphia and Main Line area, we see the opposite happen.

When children feel safe, understood, and free to explore, their creativity flourishes — especially for neurodivergent, sensitive, and twice-exceptional learners who have struggled in traditional schools.

In our microschool setting, creativity isn’t a bonus; it’s the foundation of learning.

What Happens When You Give Kids Space to Dream

My students remind me every day what’s possible when you protect creativity in education.

When we were planning our end-of-year celebration, the first suggestions weren’t about snacks or extra recess. They went straight to ideas like:

• A gigantic slip-and-slide

• Making lemonade from scratch

• Creating a human slingshot (yes, really!)

  
  

These weren’t prompted by a “Yes Day.” That’s simply how they think — imaginative, expansive, and joyfully unfiltered.

Sometimes I can say yes to all their ideas (see human slingshot below 👇), and even when I can’t, I celebrate the fact that they’re still asking. Still dreaming. Still creating.

That’s the difference when you give kids space to dream before the world teaches them not to.

Human slingshot anyone?

Saying Yes to Childhood

At Fáilte, we say yes to more than extra snacks. We say yes to:

• Big, bold, creative ideas

• Curiosity-driven conversations

• Kids taking up space and exploring joyfully

• Rebuilding what school can be

  
  

Because a child’s dream shouldn’t stop at something as small as bringing a snack from home.

Creativity belongs in the classroom — and when we protect it, we protect the very spark that makes learning meaningful.

Want more stories like this?

Join our Fáilte community to get reflections like this delivered straight to your inbox — plus behind-the-scenes moments, student stories, and insights on microschooling and neurodivergent education we only share with our subscribers.

Join our email list here!