Why we need to Expand our Child’s Imagination?

In early childhood it is important to expand children’s imagination. What does this mean? 

Encourage and inspire your children to join in the fun of “pretend play”. Be the character in the picture book you are reading.

Suddenly there are no boundaries. Play is open ended and unstructured. You are aiding in the “development of social, emotional, creative, physical, lingual, and problem-solving skills in children.” 

This is a safe way and an ideal way for children to test boundaries, to learn to control their impulses and experiment with social interaction.

And what an opportunity for adults to be silly and uninhibited and play with words... be an exaggerated actor that you might not do at your dinner party. 

You will be developing new neural connections. “The brain can’t rely on connections that have been shaped by past experiences”.

You can be anything, go anywhere, have an adventure and the props are either in your imagination or on the floor. 

There are no rules, goals, or expectations when you pretend play with children. Being a musician, I can’t help but add my own rhythmic songs and beats to our playtime.  It’s fun to beat your eggs, prepare your improvised gourmet meal with some funky rhythm in the background and cook a wonderful spaghetti dinner made from air.