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We already know that children require positive and loving social experiences. This is generally for brain growth and language development. But why is imagination so important for a child? It may be understood that imagination is actually an essential component of a person’s childhood as it can teach lifelong skills. But how would this work? Think of it like this: A child picks up a piece of cloth and will see its potential to use it as a cape or build a fort, spending hours role playing. These simple acts actually help a child build key skills, giving them creative and problem-solving abilities that will be essential in their adulthood. An international school in Mill Hill shows that this type of play should be encouraged as much as possible and here is how you as a parent can make it happen.
Read to your child.
Reading to your child is one of the fastest ways to help your child pick up new words and expand their vocabulary. But that’s not the only thing they can pick up through this simple activity. Whilst reading, you may find your child asks questions about the characters or even the illustrations on the pages. This questioning broadens the creativity in your child’s mind. Talk through and encourage the alternative endings your young one may come up with. Another very easy way to do this is by making up your own stories. Start with a title and allow your child to come up with characters, names and even locations. Allow the story to take its own twists and turns, that’s the fun in it! Ask your child open questions so that they have to think about their answers which will allow them to get creative.
Here are some of our favourite books that celebrate imagination and creative thinking
Swipe through the pictures to see all the books
Allow your child to play play play!
Don’t always feel like you have to plan exquisite activities to keep your child stimulated. Instead, keep an area full of materials, toys and activities that can be done alone. Unstructured play means your child will be left in boredom for a short period of time, but will encourage them to rely on their own imagination to keep them busy. A box of dress up clothes could keep them occupied for hours! Play dates are also beneficial as not only will your child stay occupied in their imaginations, but will also practice problem-solving, conflict resolution and building on vocabulary by learning off their peers.
And finally, use the outdoors!
Nature really is the best playground and fuel for the imagination. Take a blanket outdoors and lie on the ground to cloud watch. Build a tree house together and allow your child to create different scenarios. Being a few feet in the air really does wonders to a child’s games! As difficult as it may be, it requires your child to figure things out for themselves. As a parent, you may end up being more fascinated by watching your child figure the world out for themselves.
