How to Exercise Your Toddler’s Imagination

How to Exercise Your Toddler’s Imagination

There is no world more exciting than the world inside your toddler’s imagination. They don’t see obstacles or boundaries: the possibilities for adventures are limitless. That empty box is the rocket that will blast them into outer space, the tea towel in the kitchen is the cape to turn them into a super hero. Imagination is a vital and often undervalued life skill, and it is important that toddler imagination is exercised and encouraged. Keen to work with your child to explore their imagination but not sure where to start? Here’s are some top tips:

• Explore the World Together

For most toddlers, unleashing their imagination is a way of processing and understanding the wider world around them. The world is a very big place full of grown up concepts they don’t quite understand, and their imagination helps them to make sense of this.

If you want to encourage your child’s imagination then explore this new world together.

Choose bright and colourful picture books that introduce exciting new concepts, such as the world of dinosaurs and knights. Take woodland walks and encourage your child to imagine what adventures they could have. By being part of their imaginative play, you will make using their imagination seem like a normal and socially desirable thing to do.

• Invest in Open Ended Play Tools

Many modern toys don’t give children a lot of room to use their imagination. They tend to be very prescriptive in design, with electronic buttons that serve very particular functions. Whilst these toys are great for keeping toddlers entertained, they are less successful in encouraging imaginative play. Instead invest in open ended toys and play tools that can be used in several different ways.

Wooden blocks are a great place to start: they can be stacked to become a castle, a space ship, or turned into pens for zoo animals. A basket of generic dressing up clothes will also be great for sparking imagination: a Spiderman costume will only ever make them look like Spiderman, but imagination can turn a plain white sheet into a ghost, a princess gown, a doctors coat and other limitless possibilities. Don’t forget to buy baby soft toys, dolls and generic play figures so that your child has a trusted companion or two to enjoy all of their adventures with. When it comes to choosing toys to encourage open-ended play, the simple toys are often the best ones.

• Embrace the Mess and Chaos

Exploring the imagination of a toddler can often be a messy business. That trail of crumbs through your living room isn’t an unsightly mess: it’s a trail for Hansel and Gretel. The water all over the bathroom is a result of the shark attack in the bath.

Whilst it is important to instil rules and boundaries in your child, embracing the mess and chaos that often accompanies imagination is important, because it gives your child the security and freedom to explore whatever flight of fancy the day brings without having to worry about angering or disappointing you. This security in your support with give them a great basis for all of their future imaginative play.

Guest Article.