Imaginative children tend to be more creative in everyday life, which helps with solving problems, rising to challenges and overcoming obstacles. As we get older we often lose our ability to look at the world with imagination, but there are ways you can foster your child’s creativity to help them grow into adults who approach life with curiosity and a sense of wonder. This private boys’ school in London outlines some of the ways you can boost your child’s imagination.
Create art
Creating something from scratch is one of the best ways to flex imaginative skills; your child will have to picture the end result in their mind and then put the various pieces together to get there using their problem-solving skills. Giving your child free reign to make whatever they want, whether it’s a painting, a model or a collage, helps enhance their creativity. They can also express their thoughts and feelings through making art, and it will boost their self-esteem and confidence when they’ve finished and reached their goal.
Read widely
Encourage your child to read as many different types of books as possible. This will expose them to a multitude of worlds and ideas, all of which will feed into their everyday life. Reading widely fuels children’s curiosity while also equipping them with the language skills they need to express themselves in imaginative ways. Reading regularly may inspire your child to write their own stories to make sense of their lives and the things and people they encounter. New ideas will boost their imagination
Imaginative play
Use your downtime to get your child involved in activities that utilise their imagination and creativity. Why not take a walk in the woods and see if you can build a den together using logs and sticks, or get creative in the garden when designing a new vegetable patch or flower bed. Show your child that you’re still using your imagination as an adult so they see it’s not something that’s limited to childhood.
Keeping your child’s imagination going can be as simple as making a pillow fort in the living room and playing spaceship to encouraging them to keep their beliefs as long as possible with the help of a few pennies from the tooth fairy and receiving a letter direct from Santa.
Encourage questions
Curious children are imaginative children, so get your child into the habit of questioning the world. When you’re out in nature ask them about the things they can see, hear and feel. Spend an evening stargazing and questioning the nature of the universe – ask your child what they think is up there in space. Asking your child questions encourages them to really think about the world around them and what their thoughts and opinions on it are, a skill which will benefit them throughout their life.
Leave a Reply