Imagination

Have often wondered why is it that my girls are still 'imagining play'. Even while we were on the beach amongst the white sand with little toys as props, the girls were STILL being Atlantis princesses, mermaids, queens in sand castles etc. Now am happy that it's normal.

Why encouraging imagination is important

An active imagination helps your preschooler in more ways than you might think.

Improving vocabulary. Children who play imaginary games or listen to lots of fairy tales, stories read aloud from books, or tales spun by those around them tend to have noticeably better vocabularies.

Taking control. Pretending lets your preschooler be anyone she wants, practice things she's learned, and make situations turn out the way she wants. Stories where the brave little girl thwarts the evil witch or playacted fantasies of being the one to rescue all those kittens from that sinking ship give her a sense that she can be powerful and in control even in unfamiliar or scary situations.

Learning social rules. Getting along socially can be tricky at any age. When your preschooler joins the other kids in the sandbox to create a castle out of sand, sticks, and leaves, she's not only exploring a fantasy world, she's learning complex, real-world rules about sharing, social interaction, and resolving conflicts.

Solving problems. Dreaming up imaginary situations teaches your child to think creatively in real life. A study at Case Western Reserve University found that young children who are imaginative tend to remain so as they get older and to become better problem solvers. Tested later in life, early "imaginators" 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.

For the rest of the article see: How to raise an imaginative child!