Nurturing Imagination

Child development experts now recognize that importance of imagination and the role it plays in understanding reality. As it turns out, imagination is necessary in our ability to learn and understand things we don’t experience, like history or events on the other side of world. For your kids, it lets them dream about the future and imagine what they want to do and be when they grow up.

According to doctors and research, it is important, though not necessary, to encourage your child in fantasy play. For example, if your child has an imaginary friend, you can play along by following your child’s lead. This applies to imaginary characters as well, such as Santa or the Tooth Fairy. If your child seems excited about the idea, you can encourage it. With time, kids will figure out for themselves what is true and what isn’t, but until they do, the use of their imagination is a great help in their development.

You should try to find a balance between letting your child be open to possibility, yet still question things. This kind of imagination training has been proven to create kids that are more creative, have greater social understanding, and are better at taking the perspective of others. Imagination can also help your child deal with stress, because it creates the ability to pretend, and therefore, fix their problem with their imagination.

Reference:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703344704574610002061841322#