Children have the rest of their lives to learn about the world. With the world at their fingertips, they have the flexibility to discover and create as much as they want. Our world is filled with so many wonderful opportunities and children should be introduced to and immersed in as much as possible.
Reality may not sink in for a few more years because our children’s minds continue to develop on a regular basis. Children should engage themselves in being as creative and imaginative as possible. Being imaginative allows a child to set his or her own barriers. In our minds, we can envision a world that is so unlike the one that we currently live in.
Activities that teach imagination are limitless. Some may rely on or enhance a child’s specific talents and skills. Others may be nothing more than just good old fun.
When I Grow Up
This activity can be done in a couple of ways. The first way is to ask your child what he or she thinks a sibling or a neighbor might have as a career. By listing down all of the characteristics of the person chosen, your child can determine where the said person could live or even look like in the future.
This game applies to your child as well. Sit down with your child as he or she writes down things that he/she enjoys. There are lots of careers and looking ahead to see what the future brings isn’t a bad idea for parents, either.
Fifteen Minutes of Fame
This game is a lot of fun. Being famous isn’t necessarily just limited to celebrities and professional athletes. Doctors might be featured in a prestigious journal or a writer may have sold another bestseller online. Pretend that your child just got recognized for something amazing. Grab a play microphone (a hairbrush maybe) and ask your child what he or she was awarded for and who should be thanked. It’s amusing to see what they come up with!
Magic Tricks
To spruce up this activity, provide your child with a wand and a magician’s hat. You can make a wand out of an old tube, aluminum foil, and a star cut out of paper. The magician’s hat can be created out of black construction paper formed into a cone-shape. If your child has a stuffed bunny, that would make the activity seem even more authentic. Watching your child yell, “abracadabra!” can be very entertaining and fun.
Dinner Party
Your child is more than likely to have a number of toys with their own personalities. Suppose your child’s favorite toy would like to have a dinner party with all of its friends. You and your child can work together in coordinating who gets invited, where they should sit, and what they should eat. Setting this up between family meal times can be a fun affair, as long as the toys’ event doesn’t run into the humans’ actual dinner time.
Story Time
Story time doesn't have to always be you reading a story to your child. Have your child come up with a fun story that they can share with you! It doesn't have to be anything complex; let your child decide how long they want the story to be. This can be a great way to teach them that stories have a beginning, middle, and end.
Either give your child a topic or theme to write about, or let them have creative freedom. Either way, coming up with their own story will encourage them to use their imagination to its fullest potential. It will be so cool to see what they come up with, and they'll love getting to share their own creation with you!
They can also make up a story about a fictional character that they like, or someone that they know. If your child is struggling to decide on who or what to make a story about, this can be a way to help them decide. Many children will love imagining other stories that their favorite characters can get involved in. Or, ask them to come up with a story about their friends.
If your child can write or type, have them write or type out the story. If not, simply verbalizing it is okay. The important thing is that they're using their imagination! By combining story time with all of the other activities we've suggested, your kid will soon master their imagination and become a creative genius!