Let it run wild!

My son runs around and spends hours at a time as Superman or a T Rex. Sometimes he is Michael Jackson or a member of super rock group Queen. My daughter has several costume changes throughout the day as she goes from cheerleader, to princess, to rock star. Laundry is more work than usual, but I give in because….

Kids are hardwired to be imaginative, and the fantasies start exploding when they reach the toddler years. If you have a toddler or preschooler at home, you may find yourself being invited into their make-believe world. Just the other day I was a client in my daughter’s hair salon! Starting age 2, a child’s imagination starts to evolve, along with the increasing ability for abstract thinking. Experts advice us to support this aspect of their development.

Give their budding imagination a little push by joining in the fun. If he invites you into his imaginary world… go! Getting in the act is a great way to see how his mind works. You will also be able to learn more about how he sees his world.

An active imagination is something to embrace. And it’s more than just cute, it’s a great way to foster your child’s intellectual, emotional and social development. Experts tell us, pretend play or imaginative play nurtures the following:

Good vocabulary. Those fantasy stories are expressed with words. Books and your own stories inspire scenarios in his mind – and he has to use the words he learns, to express his own unique ideas.

Self control. As your toddler or preschooler takes on a role, he gets to practice how to handle situations to achieve his own goals. To do this he needs to master self-motivation and self control.

Socialization. If he engages in imaginative play with others, he learns that he needs to do things like being nice and waiting his turn or help others so they can accomplish what they set out to do.

Problem solving. A study at Case Western Reserve University found that young children who are imaginative tend to remain so as they get older. These same kids become better problem solvers. Tested later in life, highly imaginative kids were more resourceful when it came to coping with challenges and difficult situations, such as what to do if they forgot to bring a book to school they needed that day.

So how do we nurture imagination? Talk to your kids, read to them, take them to new places and share new experiences. It would be good to expose them to the outdoors, music, museums and other people.

One thing to limit is television. Screen media provides passive stimulation, meaning it does the thinking and imagining for your child. A little quality, age-appropriate TV or movies is fine, but the American Academy of Pediatrics says these should be limited to no more than 2 hours per day.

You should also allow your child to get bored sometimes. Yes, boredom can be good! Sometimes, well-meaning parents think their kids have to be engaged and happy every waking hour. Kids need downtime from activity too. It allows for some reflective thinking and let’s them find ways to get themselves busy. Now that requires a lot of creativity!

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