Raising an imaginative child

At six, children start to be a bit more self-conscious, so pretending to play “pirates” in the living room might now take a backseat to reading and writing about pirates instead. Just because your child is more reserved about his imaginative playtime scenarios doesn’t mean he’s getting less imaginative as a whole.

There are many benefits to raising an imaginative child, including an improved vocabulary (they generally read and write more) to learning social skills when they play with other children. Creative thinking also breeds the very important skills of problem solving and coping with challenges, traits that serve both children and adults well.

If you’re looking to keep the flame of your child’s imagination burning brightly, here are some helpful tips:

Encourage reading: Expose your child to a wide variety of books, from different authors, genres, and styles of writing. Apart from fiction, teach your child to search for information in reference books to answer all their questions about life and the world.

Make up stories: Create stories with your child and nurture his imagination and inventiveness. You can even encourage him to put pen to paper and write and illustrate his own stories.

Make music: If your child is interested in music, this is a good opportunity for him to pick up an instrument. Alternatively, there are other activities such as singing or dancing for him to engage in.

Make boredom work for you : It may sound counter-intuitive, but letting your child be bored is actually good for stimulating his imagination. When forced to amuse himself, your child might surprise you with how he turns everyday objects into a toy or inspiration for something else.