Develop Your Child's Imagination

This is a "plugged in" generation. TV is not the only electronic babysitter anymore. Computers, video games, iPods, Wii, et cetera can all keep your child occupied but also drain any creativity from them. It is more work but definitely worth the effort to develop your child's imagination through other means.

Read to Your Child

In the earliest years of life, begin a tradition of reading. Even if they do not understand the words, babies respond to pictures and your voice and closeness during the story. As they age, you will find the stories feed their imaginations and increase their attention span. Books open new worlds to everyone and force the reader and listeners to imagine the setting rather than feeding it to them in TV images.

Play with Your Child

When you are stuck in traffic or are waiting in long lines, you have the opportunity to spend some quality time with your youngster. I discovered that playing games with my daughter not only kept her occupied during long waits but bred more imaginative play.

In the car, we play "Pocket Monkey." I take imaginary monkeys from my pockets for her to feed, give names and personalities, play with, tickle, et cetera. I do not remember how it started but it occupies her for hours.

My husband and daughter also play "Hide and Seek" in the car. It takes a lot of imagination to stay fully buckled and play. A blanket over the head, ducking down, and a long count keep the game interesting!

We also play "What Bird Am I?" You can play this with any animal you like but my daughter has a special interest in birds. She and I take turns cooing like a dove, squawking like a parrot, gobbling like a turkey, until one is stumped. Usually she stumps me on the goldfinch. People think we are strange when we do this in lines, but it certainly keeps us both entertained.

Take Walks or Hikes

Exercise is a great motivation to get outside and get moving but it is also a great time to teach your child. As I have mentioned, my daughter loves birds so outdoors is where she likes to be. We live close to a state park so we will often take hikes on the mountain. We pack a lunch, extra bread for the birds, a field guide and binoculars. Because everything is so new and extraordinary to my little one, I have a renewed joy in nature. You do not have to plan much in advance; the questions come as you walk.

Lately, my daughter is enjoying purpose walks. She likes to go on leaf hunts to find the perfect fall leaf to press or goose walks to feed the Canadian geese flying south for the winter. At this time of year, evening walks to view the lights could be a possibility.

Create Art

Rather than picking up the remote for the TV, hand your child a box of crayons and paper or sidewalk chalk on a summer day or watercolors and a coloring book. Even a couple hours with playdough will turn your little one into a budding artist. Make your own playdough easily and cheaply using the following recipe from Tipnut.com.

Plain Old Playdough Recipe

1 cup flour

1 cup water

1/2 cup salt

1 TBS cream of tartar

1 TBS oil

food coloring

Directions

Heat all ingredients in a saucepan, slow to medium heat. Stir continuously. Once dough is at the consistency you want, remove from heat. Cool before using.

Regardless of what you decide to do with your child, the simple act of spending quality time with him is extremely beneficial to his growth and development. Perhaps seeing the world through his eyes will be inspiring to you and will encourage you to continue to develop his imagination.