Helping Children Find Magic in the Mundane

Children can instinctively see the extraordinary in the world around them. They live in a world that enriches all of their senses and stirs their spirits on a continuous basis. What we adults may see as mundane and ordinary are breathtaking in the eyes of a child. Many of us spend hours trying to find that place where we feel fully alive, aware, and spiritual on all levels. But that kind of magic exists right now inside every child. By sharing that extraordinary view with your child you can both find what was lost from your own spirit and strengthen your child's spirituality so that it can last a life time.

As adults we are often too wrapped up in the material world we live in. Expensive toys in a rainbow of plastic colors, fast paced movies, and realistic video games become the things that we spend our time and money on to give to our children. These things not only rob children of their natural imagination and creativity they also dull a child's enthusiasm and leave them always expecting more and more. We fail to realize that what children really need is for us to keep things simple and light. Children have a natural ability to find enchantment in the little things around them, creating their own joy and magic to grow from. When we overwhelm them with the bright lights, loud noises, and fast images of our modern indulgences we are shortchanging them and ourselves.

Rather than the items that we buy for our children it is actually the every day, ordinary events that leave the most powerful memories with our children. These day to day moments are what builds your child's foundation, becoming a personal history that stays with them for the rest of their lives. It is the smells of book baking in the kitchen, a certain song sung while you clean, a family meal, or nightly story. It is in those moments that children find the most comfort and joy. Take the time to delve into these ordinary moments with your children. Watch the leaves falling from the trees, kneel down and look into the bubbles in the bathtub, or curl up near a window and listen to the rain falling. What main seem like nothing special to you is deeply wrapped up in magic and fantasy to a child.

You can enhance your child's sense of magic, and your own, by letting their imagination bloom. Tell stories to your children and let them tell you their own as well. Maybe there is a princess living in the bubbles of the bathwater, maybe faeries play in your backyard. Turn the couch into a pirate ship, or having a jungle adventure in the middle of your living room. The possibilities are endless. Giving way to your children's imagination and you can create more of that magic every where you go. Though it may seem silly at first do not be afraid to let yourself catch the excitement and find your own sense of magic.

Going outside into nature is a powerful way to find the extraordinary in the mundane. What may seem to be just leaves, and rocks and dirt to an adult is the stuff of legends to a child. Trees to climb, rocks to stack and dirt to dig in can be the best toys that any child could have. Allowing your children to spend time outside, free to play will create incredible moments for them to grow from. Even better is if you are willing to join them. Sit on the porch and watch a coming storm, them go out and dance in the rain with your children. Go out after dark and look out at the moon and the stars with your children. There is no need to go into heavy detail about what the stars are or the meanings of the constellations, just enjoy the night air and the beautiful sky together. You can also bring the outside world back in with you to share with your children. Make wreaths out of leaves and twigs you have found outside and hang them up inside your home, create a special table to showcase rocks that your child has collected, or work together to make corn-husk dolls that you can play with inside.

Sharing music, art and literature with your children is another great way to help share the magic all around us. Play music, every kind of music, and let yourself and your children be absorbed by it. Dance, sing, sway, or just curl up and listen. Music is a great way to feel emotions in your soul, listening to it can change your mood and inspire you. Play fun music while you cook and clean or turn on soft classical music while your children prepare for bed. Let your children find their own music, find the songs that resonate in their own souls and let them enjoy their music as often as they like. Take your children to both large art museums and to smaller art galleries. Let them take in all of the images and create their own feelings from what they see. Ask what they think the art is about and share with them their own interpretations. If you cannot take your children to see formal art you can find images online, or in magazines, or just create your own. It does not matter whether you use paints or crayons, just sharing the time together creating images can be a magical moment for your children, one that will also crate memories to cherish. Sharing a story is another way to enhance the ordinary magic in a child's life. Poems, faerie tales, and stories of enchantment all fuel a child's imagination and creative spark. But what is better than the story itself is the time spent together reading the story.

Creating family rituals and traditions will also build powerful memories and add magic the your child's daily life. The obvious, of course, is to create special traditions for holidays that everyone can share in. While doing this is an excellent idea and certainly something that children will love, creating small rituals to every day moments will enhance the day to day world. You can set aside a special day or time to celebrate together. Every Friday you could have a special dinner, or every night you could do a special ritual as you prepare for bedtime. You can also create little celebrations to share with your children throughout the day to add a spark to the mundane. Create a special tradition that you share each time the weather is warm, or a simple ritual to celebrate finishing a book. Turn the little moments into special events that are shared with enthusiasm. You do not need to do much, just something to mark the moment as special to you and your child. Light a candle, say a prayer, clap your hands, eat ice cream, whatever feels right for you. Let yourself get excited over the details and build up the magic of the ordinary.

When the clutter and noise of television, numerous toys, and distracting games is gone from your child's life the extraordinary moments can be found. Let go of the "shoulds" and find the joy and beauty of the world around you, let your children experience their own creative pursuits, and enjoy the amazing world that is all around you.