I is for Imagination

I is for Imagination.

What words do you associate with imagination? Dreamer? Creative? Artsy? Out of the box thinking? Remember when you were little and a box could be anything…a boat, a car, the moon, etc. To me, I associate imagination with not worrying about norms or rules and simply doing. For me, I feel I have a good imagination but lack the creativity to put it into picture form using pencils or paints. Imagination and creativity can be two totally different avenues and may look different to everyone.

With children, we have to teach them rules, but without squashing their imagination. I believe it is part of our job to help harness and scaffold imagination. When a child draws something, there are times I have no idea what it is. Instead of saying, “What is that?” and making them feel like they failed, ask them to tell you about their work. Then when they tell you it is a spaceship filled with donuts and jellybeans driven by a unicorn, you can suddenly see it and talk more about it.

As a child, my husband was told to stop doodling and pay attention throughout elementary school. My mother-in-law attended multiple conferences where she was told this and that he needed to stop. Each time, she had to say that doodling was his way of paying attention and that she was not going to tell him to stop. Years later he enjoyed art classes in high school, has a degree in fine art, is the head of film and media and is the illustrator of a children’s book. Now imagine if his mom didn’t fight for him or didn’t encourage his doodles?

A child’s imagination can come through in stories, drawings, acting, dancing, singing, playing, dress up, etc. Please enjoy these two lists of picture books to support imagination and creativity with the children in your life.