Imagination is an important factor for growth in childhood development. It’s not just about art & music, a good imagination helps children develop emotional, creative and problem-solving skills. Psychologists believe that imagination is crucial to developing thinking skills and working through new situations. What does that mean for your child? What can you do to help them develop their imagination?
The power of abstract thinking
One of the main benefits to a well-developed imagination, research shows, is developing abstract thinking. This is the process of going beyond the practical, where a child starts to learn about concepts. Love, friendship or even death are concepts that are great examples of abstract concepts – we can’t point out “love” like we can point out “dog”.
Which means we can’t teach it the same way as teach about objects and things; we have to do it by giving examples and scenarios. These need your child to imagine something. By using their imagination, they can ‘see’ what love means and understand it in other contexts as well.
Social imagination allows children to imagine scenarios and people they are nor familiar with. This helps them see themselves in that situation or understand what it is like for someone to go through something like heartbreak.
Creativity and critical thinking
Imagination also comes into play for creativity and critical thinking. By going beyond the boundary of what they know, imagination allows a child to explore ideas and concepts. It gives them a safe space to test out new ideas and to go outside their bubble. It’s one of the reasons why children play with toys in imaginary scenarios. Not only does this help children cope with new situations that crop up, but it also develops creativity and critical thinking.
They think about new ways to do things, and finding new solutions. Experimenting helps children think about all aspects of the problem and come up with new ideas.
Four ways to encourage and develop imagination
Just because imagination is important, doesn’t mean that it’s hard for children to develop. There are lots of ways you can encourage them to think creatively. Here’s four easy ways you can encourage and develop imagination in your child:
1. Not just child’s play
Make believe play during childhood is not only fun but helps children grow and learn. Encouraging your child to engage in play allows them a safe and fun place to experiment with different ideas. Join in when they’re playing. Create scenarios that they don’t expect, this will help push them to think about things they haven’t previously encountered.
2. Acting up a storm
Drama is another activity that can increase imagination and creativity. Drama helps children feel more confident in play and is great space for them to learn to express themselves. Try doing a play or small spontaneous performance at home. You could even dress up & act out a scene from their favorite bedtime story.
3. The right toys
Playing with dolls or action figures can help children experiment and work through situations. Even though they may have favorites, try putting them in front of a variety of different toys. Outside of the classic like Lego, there are an abundance of toys that are designed to stimulate critical thinking – like dominos, Jenga, and many mystery/puzzle games. These games help get them thinking outside the box.
4. Encouraging active reading
Reading is a fantastic way to develop imagination. Active reading is engaging and requires the reader or listener to concentrate fully. The parent or teacher asks the child to think about what they are reading by asking question. They also pose situations that are similar but slightly different. Many children’s books have questions printed on the back sleeve that you can use.
You can start by making sure your child loves bedtime stories. Use some of the tips discussed in our previous post to keep them actively listening
Imagination helps kids develop
Imagination is developed by children as they comprehend the world around them. There are many ways to encourage and develop your child’s imagination. Techniques such as active reading, creative play and fun problem solving will help your child develop. So next time you’re invited on a mission to outer space, boldly go where no parent & child have gone before!
