Watching my four-year-old son playing dinosaurs is a thing of great beauty.
He visualises all the volcanic eruptions, the fights, and the hunts which usually end in one massive dino attack. Most days, my daughter folds up her little world and crams it into her dolls house for an hour where her dolls come to life, with real characters and storylines. Where I see plastic, they see magic, and although to me it is a game on the kitchen table, to them EVERYTHING comes alive once their imagination kicks in. The sheet thrown over the couch is a bat cave, and the teddy tucked under their arm at night is a more powerful comfort than we can know.
We all have imagination, and sometimes it is this unreality that keeps us sane. I know this because I often imagine, very vividly, lying on a beach with a cocktail while the children are happily playing sandcastles beside me. This is a much nicer vision than the reality which is damp sandy children sitting on me while they mush banana in my hair. But that is not the only reason why imagination is so important.
Scientists are fascinated with the way children, in particular, use imagination to develop their brain. Originally, it was thought that it was a way for children to escape reality but that once they reached a certain age, they would push this magical world aside and join the harsh real world. But now child-development specialists are discovering that imagination plays an important role in understanding reality. It is essential for learning about places and things we will never directly experience such as history, far-away events and allows us to think about what type of person we would like to be in the future. It is also a vital tool in empathy and gaining perspective from other’s point of view.
Here are the most important ways you can help spark your child’s mental creativity:
1. If there is one thing you can do to help your child have a more creative mind, you can read to them. Their little mind sees the pictures come to life on the page. It is also a great opportunity to take ten minutes out of your own hectic life to just be still, be physically close to them and to share the magic of books. Be happy knowing that with every word you are enriching their minds. Reading is wonderful because it introduces your children to ideas, experiences, and concepts that they might not get otherwise. It also provides fuel for the imagination and sows the seeds of new ideas. We love the story about the Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and the amazing illustrations from any of Kevin Waldron’s books.
2. When they are not hanging out of trees and demanding snacks, creating miniature worlds is my children’s favourite hobby at the moment. It is fun and so easy to do at home. Everything can be used. We love using our beanbags as the mountainous backdrop for a hybrid village of Barbies, dinosaurs, trolls, Lego characters and random Happy Meal toys where they all co-exist peacefully and get around in dinky cars and eat chocolate buttons. I want to live there someday.
3. Playing stories is a great way to distract the children in the car on long journeys and is great fuel for the imagination. I usually start the story; then I nominate one of the children to continue it with their own twist. The story-lines are fantastically elaborate and inevitably involve cows, sheep, other cars, traffic lights and everything else they can see out the car window! Facial expressions are important too as your children will react based on your reaction to your words.
4. It is interesting to see how my children react to planned trips such as the zoo, a farm or even just a trip into town. I usually try to map it out for them before we go so they can imagine what to expect. The reality isn’t always as they have conjured up in their minds and this is another valuable lesson about adjusting to expectations.
5. Have a tea party! Nothing like setting up a teddy bears picnic or a dolls tea party to bring imagination to life. You can tie it in with the seasons and host a Halloween party for all their little spooky pals. If you would like them to have fun AND help others you could tie it in with a Trick or Treat party to raise funds for Temple Street Children’s Hospital. MiWadi is supporting the iniatitive which is a great opportunity for your children to enjoy a magical time with their friends, while also helping to donate funds for those sick but brave children.
6. Cooking with your children is another way to spark their imagination. Again, they have an expectation about what a cookie or a fairy cake should look like from the recipe. I can confirm that with my cooking they rarely turn out ANYTHING like they should. Sometimes I use my own imagination and add decorations to enhance the look. The taste is entirely unadjustable I’m sorry to say. Making shapes with their food on their plate is also a great fun way to bring everything to life (and distract!)
No matter what you do, encouraging your child to think in a more creative way IS helping their social development. These are the tooth-fairy years and the Santa years, and they are so precious and lovely. It is said that logic will get you from A to B, but imagination really will get you everywhere.
To register your Trick or Treat party today, simply call 01 878 4344 or visit www.templestreet.ie/trickortreat. Join the conversation on twitter using #TrickorTreat4TempleSt or visit www.facebook.com/TempleStreetCUH.
