The warm late spring air breezed through my hair, the thick smell of lilac surrounded me, and I was standing tall, barefoot at the top of the river hill…dreaming…imagining I was Pocahontas about to paint with all the colors of the wind. And all in a moment I belted out in song and took off dancing down the hill, swinging my arms, and leaping over twigs… You could say that I had a pretty strong imagination as a child, and the truth is I still do today.
For a very long time I felt ashamed of my childhood imagination and thought I spent too much time in my head. I would fall sleep dreaming of all the things I knew were unattainable in real life, and I would have dreams so vivid that they almost felt real. My younger brothers and I would spend hours playing make believe games in my parents yard, and truthfully my heart misses those days. We could be so happy and make all our dreams come true by simply allowing our hearts and minds to run free.
Imagination can turn a couch into a boat at sea, a stick into a magic wand, or a bunk bed into a tall castle tower. Although imagination play may seem like silly make-believe that is unrealistic and maybe even time wasted in some minds, it is actually very important work. When children use their imagination in play they are developing crucial psychological and emotional capacities that help them understand the world in which they live and their relation to it; they are learning to solve problems, create new possibilities, even change the world. (source) As toddlers and children grow they are learning to attach words to emotion and are growing as they begin to understand how they feel and express empathy or excitement for others.
My daughter Aria is just a toddler, yet she has begun to show an understanding of emotion and how to express it on her own. She will furrow her brow and exclaim “wah wah wah!” when her baby sister starts to cry. She knows that crying means sadness and she can empathize with that. Imaginative play also allows us to explore both the physical world and the inner self at the same time, helping us to recognize our own emotional responses to things, which is a very healthy process. (source)
Imagination can also help to fuel social skills such as cooperation and appreciation of others. Because creative play brings about role play, material manipulation, interacting and reacting, and self expression, it encourages children to recognize their inner self and build confidence in who they are and how they feel about things in their own way. It also is a good way for children to learn critical thinking and problem solving skills by imagining different scenarios and possible solutions to obstacles, all of which are vital skills to have in the future workplace. Imagination boosts dreaming and therefore births the opportunity for motivation to reach for those dreams. Although it is important for children to know what is real and what is not real, it should not dampen their hope in what is possible.
So how can you encourage your children to be imaginative and grow in creative play? Below are 8 ways to encourage imagination in your child’s everyday routine and how you can be a part of guiding them to grow as dreamers and future leaders of this world.
Vocal Games
Vocal games encourage children to vocally express their imagination and play with words and sounds. You can have vocal games by singing nursery rhymes and acting out the song as you sing, you can make up songs and sing as you clean or do a project, and you can say rhymes or take turns making sounds or words that rhyme or match each other. You can also play “I spy” or “Going on a Picnic” which are vocal games usually played on long car rides.
Dress Up
Most children play dress up at some point in their life, and it is a really good way for them to learn roll play and understand different perspectives and responsibilities. Dress up can be anything from putting on a costume for Halloween, to putting on pearls and high heels for a tea party, to putting on a brother or sister’s hat and pretending they are them! Dress up can be fun for the whole family and is easy to do with toddlers too. If your toddler puts on a hat, try putting a hat yourself and see the reaction you get!
Monkey See Monkey Do
Starting as early as 11 months old, a child will begin to copy what they see and try to do the same thing as the influentials around them. The best part about monkey see monkey do is that you can play it anywhere and you can also use it as a teaching tool for following direction and learning obedience. Play monkey see monkey do by taking turns, follow the leader, or mimicking. You can also play monkey see monkey do with mirrors and making funny faces!
Pretend Play
My daughter’s favorite pretend game to play is telephone. I will give her a play phone and hold one myself and then pretend to call her. She will answer her phone and have little conversations with me while I talk in different voices to her. Pretend play can be done by just that…PRETENDING to do something for real. You can pretend your camping, pretend your packing for a trip, or pretend you are making a meal, all things that are also great things to learn for when it is done for real. You can also be the narrator during pretend play when playing with children and toddlers under the age of 3. Like, “You are feeding the baby now, and then we can lay the baby down for a nap…” is an example of how you can describe what your toddler is doing and helping them to imagine the next steps.
Art
One of the best ways to encourage imagination is through art. Art is the exact definition of using imagination to create something new and different. You can use art to grow imagination by playing with paint, coloring pictures, molding play doh, or even planting a garden of colorful flowers! Allowing children to manipulate materials, experiment with colors, and design objects and shapes helps to be curious and confident in their ideas.
Story Time
We all know that reading books, watching movies, and telling stories can pique imagination as we envision the characters in our own minds, create new endings, or dream of being in those places ourselves… But another way story telling can be huge for imagination is by inspiring children to come up with stories all on their own. You can do that by asking open ended questions like, “What do you think would happen if….?” or “What is the best way to…”, getting excited and animated when they come up with new ideas, or by giving them a simple object and asking them to show you ways to use it.
Self Play
Some children are better at this than others, but it is important to encourage self play so that children can learn how to entertain themselves and be ok with being alone sometimes. Self play is the ultimate imagination booster because children are then able to completely rely on their own thoughts and ideas without the influence of others around them. My daughter is very good at self play and I actually used to feel really guilty about it, but when I watch her I see her discover new things like trying to fit a block into other toy buckets or baskets, or build a new tunnel to crawl through, or sing to her self as she piles all her babies up into the bouncy chair and then turn the bouncy chair on…all beautiful and wonderful ways for her mind to grow and it makes me so happy to see this unfold.
New Experiences
From about 12 months old and on, a toddler and child will begin growing in every way, each and every day. Their cognitive and curious minds will crave new experiences and it is so good for them to be able to have these new experiences as often as possible. It can be as simple as walking to a new part of the neighborhood, visiting a new park, trying a new food, or creating a new craft. Supplying children with new sights, sounds, and other senses will give them the ability to dream bigger dreams, imagine more often, and discover new things about themselves and others.