Kindling Imagination

Kindling Imagination

The role of creativity and imagination in your child’s life

and ways to nurture it

We are all born with the ability to be creative, to exercise our imagination. As a child grows older, his brain cells send out and receive signals, which in turn create connections. Accordingly to experts, a connection that is not used frequently may wither out, so exposing your child to new sights, sounds and sensations can jump-start his thought-process and imagination. Children have a natural sense of curiosity and wonder about the world around them, leading them to believe that they can become or do anything they choose. Experts also believe that there is a link between imaginative thought and self-esteem. A child who feels secure and confident may be encouraged to express his creativity and individuality. So, as a parent you would have a role to play in nurturing this spirit in him.

Stimulating his interests

There are some ways by which you can nurture and encourage him to be innovative and imaginative. Apart from offering him the environment and the opportunity to nurture his self-belief, you can expose him to variety of interests and creative pursuits. Experts believe that children within the age group of 6 to 10 can develop an imaginative bent of mind by assimilating and responding to a variety of ideas and opinions. So, even sharing everyday life-experiences, and allowing him to know about your ideas and beliefs can make a difference. Be open to discussions and encourage him to have his own viewpoints and individual thought. Keeping the lines of communication open can pave the way for not just an imaginative mind but can lead him to make independent choices in his life later on. Search on the right kind of toys and games, stimulating gifts that can challenge the boundaries of him mind. In school and elsewhere, encourage his participation in plays, music, sports et cetera. Even travelling – not necessarily to exotic places, but to new and different neighborhoods can expose him to a variety of experiences.

The world of imaginary friends

A child within this age group may still be caught up in the magical process of make-believe, which helps create a world for the child to slip in and out of. It is believed that the famous author, Robert Louis Stevenson, when confined to bed as a sick child, created his own world of friends. Wrapping himself in fantasy as a child may have led him to feed his vivid imagination in creating his marvels of literature.

The others can’t see these imaginary friends but to the child they will be a real and essential part of his life. Children may create imaginary playmates to fill their playing hours, satisfying a need in their development. Having an imaginary friend can offer him unlimited opportunities for activity, unconstrained by set toys that are predictable in behaviour.

Studies show that creating imaginary situations can teach a child to not just think creatively but to look for solutions to possible problems. Research also shows that early `imaginators’ as they grow older, have more resources to draw on to be able to cope with challenges and difficult situations.

Make-believe

A child, by exercising his imagination can `rebuild’ his world in a way that is easier for him to deal with and understand. He absorbs the things around him but may not be able to comprehend all of it himself. Experts believe that all children are `natural’ imaginators but may not know where to begin – pretend play can help him along. Recasting and colouring it with his imaginative thought can help him to feel in control.

Research shows that a child can learn a lot by dramatizing events from his life. Encourage his fantasy world, let him come up with his own stories and adventures. I know of a father in my neighbourhood who would often have a picnic lunch with his five-year-old daughter in her room, saying that the dining room had turned into an igloo! Replaying scenarios that involve a variety of emotions can also help in his social and emotional development.

For a fertile mind

Seemingly `destructive’ tendencies – of taking a toy apart and trying to reassemble it the way he wants to in the beginning – are not necessarily what they seem to be. In fact, more often than not, it would be his attempt to exercise his imagination, to see and find out how he can re-organize and learn more about things. He can then also feel in control of his `destructive-constructive’ world.

Another child may however, not resort to the method of taking things apart to understand them, he may instead try to construct something out of unrelated objects, making it into something that would satisfy his image and meaning of the object through his imaginative eye.

Children from the age of four onwards are thought to be great pretenders. Creativity and imagination seems to peak at this stage although, there is no neurological evidence for this. Studies show that reading to the child, exposing him to stories of unfamiliar lands and people can enhance his learning and thought. Some even feel encouraging the child to make-up stories, creating characters and plots can provide a `scope’ for imagination. From copying others at first, he’ll eventually become more inventive and also expand his sense of himself.

Imaginative props

Experts agree that the best props for imaginative play can be the things that are there around your house – towels that can be made into turbans, beads, scarves et cetera. Most of the action would take place inside his head, so costumes specific to popular characters may not be that helpful. A superman suit can only be that, but playing with different things can ensure that he’ll have lots of ideas to draw on. Early on , you could have a special box where he could keep his paraphernalia to make games even more of an adventure. Drawing, painting and other creative pursuits can also help to reflect his distinctive thought. Bring in your own imagination to play- turn a sports session with him into not just about teaching the finer points of a game of cricket – instead encourage him to run, dance or whatever takes his fancy! The idea is being not to structure his thoughts and expression rigidly. Also, at this age your child will also have a whole group of friends and his social self will be coming to the fore. Schedule occasions and opportunities for him to interact and spend time with them.

A creative ground

Part of your role in nurturing an imaginative mind in your child would be learning to share it. Good listening skills, appreciation and participation would go a long way in helping his mind to soar free. Experts believe that it is usually after the age of six that imaginative and fantasy play gets internalized. But for children of this age, the expression of their imagination requires a degree of privacy. So, your eight-year-old seeing your watch his fantasy play may just stop playing. Also, becoming engrossed in his studies and schoolwork can make his creative pursuits take a back seat. Your role could then be to not let his individual thought vanish all together, to follow his lead and give him the gift of time and space.

Often, as adults we worry about what others think, and may become easily embarrassed which can work against a free and imaginative life. And we may not realise it but when it comes to exercising out imagination, we may end up carrying a lot of baggage. So, along with your child, let your imagination soar free. Experts agree that imagination can feed off interaction. Spark his brain to help him forge imaginative paths of his own – use your imagination and encourage him to use his.

Positive Support

There are several dos and don’ts that parents can follow to encourage creative and imaginative thinking:

DO…

· Encourage the child to read stories rather than watch them as movies.

· If the child asks a question about how things work or why things are the way they are, ask the child what he thinks and then, give the answer.

· Make sure the child has access to you – keep communication channels open.

· Encourage the child to play with materials that can be used imaginatively – like paints, clay, blocks, sand et cetera rather than play materials that have a stereotyped use – like racing cars.

· Make sure the child has access to books that can be read and understood by the child with minimal input from the parent.

· Tell children a lot of stories and ask them to modify the end – what else could have happened. If there are younger siblings, he could tell the sibling stories in these own words.

DON’T…

· Curb the child’s questions.

· Snub the child when he makes up stories about friends, teachers, school just to embellish the facts (especially if they are harmless) – instead, think of all the mental effort gone into it!

· Force the child to repeat verbatim answers to questions, ask the child to tell you what he has understood in his own words.

· Discourage non-school related reading.