Stimulating Imagination.

Watch a child play and you see his/her imagination at work. All a child needs is a small toy or some other replacement for a toy.

Give a child a toy car and his car will be roaring down the floor of the living room with the imitated sound emiting from his/her mouth. A toy aeroplane or horse-cart would do just as well.

The other day, a friend's grandson who was slightly past a year in age was carrying some packages of coffee in a small plastic container, stopping at various parts of the house where the adults were, to see if they wanted get any from him.

The world's a stage, and for children it really is, as they act out what adults do. This child i saw even tried on his grandma's shoes; much too big but certainly worth a try, certainly a good experience, to know the texture, the feel and the fun, for one so young.

So it is that a child at this young age would imitate the actions of adults. The adults, especially the parents, must humour them and play along, taking roles such as customers or patients, depending upon the role the child has taken, salesman or doctor and whatever comes to his imagination. By playing along with him, the parents can stimulate and encourage the child's imagination.

Though it is usually difficult, parent can and do kill the growth and development of imagination by stopping the play-acting or refusing to be a part of his 'childish nonsence'.

Children who have great imagination can see such things as fairies. Well, once upon a time, even adults have seen unidentified flying objects in the sky (UFOs). Whether such things exist or not is immaterial. What is important here is the part of the brain that creates stories and adventures.

Some children go on great adventures mentally to overcome the boredom of inactivity and loneliness. Do not scoff at such activity for it could be through such activities that award-winning stories are written. Writers, besides possessing sufficient language capabilities, certainly need either experience or imagination to stalk a hero into the unknown, stopping now and then to write on what the hero has encountered and overcomed in so many dangerous, heart-stopping episodes.

Of course, there are so many other ways to stimulate imagination. Have you thought of them?It's such an important and interesting topic, one posting like this can never do. So, till another time, think about it.