Imagination is an important element of child development as it aids the progression of many lifelong skills. By pretending, imagining, and role-playing, children become better problem solvers and decision makers. Essentially, make believe play allows children to carry out interactions and skills they have observed in real-life, which allows them to practise and feel more prepared. With this in mind, parents should try and nurture their child’s imagination, using the following ideas from a private school in Ireland.
- Explore Fiction
Reading is a fantastic way to foster your child’s imagination and open their mind to new ideas and concepts. Don’t be afraid to make up your own stories together and see where their imagination takes them.
- Encourage Unstructured Play
Give your child space to play freely, without too much structure, as this will encourage them to use their imagination and explore their creativity. Sometimes, when a child is bored, they perform their best creative work, so try not to be there with ideas of what they should be doing all the time – let them come up with something on their own.
- Limit Screen Time
Sitting in front of a screen is a passive activity, as it doesn’t allow children to engage their brains on a deeper level. So, try and cut their screen time down and encourage more inspiring activities, like arts and crafts, experiments, and reading.
- Ask Questions
When chatting to your child, try and ask as many open-ended questions as possible, so as to invite them to think about things on a deeper level and engage their imaginations. Doing so will also show them that their opinions are valid, which will help improve their confidence.
- Spend Time Outdoors
Exploring nature is fantastic for a child’s development and encourages them to explore, create, discover, and solve problems. The inspiration found by spending time outdoors can help children with their imagination.