The importance of stimulating the imagination of children
By Imagination is understood the faculty that we have to perceive an object that is not present. Thus, children develop their imagination, representing that object they have "imagined" or have previously seen through a drawing, constructing it with different materials, or explaining it through language.
The importance of stimulating the imagination lies in the fact that if the imagination is properly educated and directed, we will provide our children with a rich source of operations and occurrences and, in this way, we will enrich their creative thinking, as well as being able to develop all of their talents
But also, you can make a misuse of it: when the child evades reality and imagines worlds that do not exist (the wrong imagination), something that can harm you. Therefore, through imagination we can "get into" situations that we do not have before us, both to evade us and to look for solutions.
Creating new situations fosters the imagination of children
Imagination is closely related to creativity, that is, with the ability to create something new, different, to find a solution to problems. But the imagination has to be cultivated, or what is the same, governed by the will and the effort so that it develops the sense that we mark. Thus, educate, empower and guide the imagination of our son, carries a number of advantages:
- Facilitate thinking to intelligence, because we think with the help of images.
- Allows you to enter the mystery.
- Help to learn, to look for memories to achieve examples or abstract thoughts.
- Fosters curiosity, the adventurous spirit and take on challenges.
- Memory is also enhanced, which helps to remember more and better things.
- Improves creativity because imagination is very plastic.
- Facilitates the necessary dose of enthusiasm and motivation for the fulfillment of duty in daily life. Therefore, it enhances the effort.
- Fan desire to do big and different things.
Imagination + will = motivation
The Will education is key to the cultivation of the imagination** It said and can be applied here, Pablo Picasso: "Inspiration exists, but it must find you working". How many times the "I can not think of anything", the "I'm bored" are lack of effort, interest, attention, not wanting to do anything. In this way, every time you want to do something less. Therefore, we must help our children put a little effort to take out all the imagination they carry inside.
Imagination + intelligence = creativity
On the other hand, imagination + intelligence develops creativity. In order to invent - and find - solutions, not so much exceptional skill or intelligence is needed, but to observe, to ask, to want to discover. Therefore, a healthy curiosity of our children is positive because it awakens their imagination.
Therefore, we must respect the unusual questions and ideas; give value to original ideas; offer opportunities and favor their creative activities (even if they mess up the whole room).
Alejandra Márquez
Advisor: Pilar Sancho, specialist in Emotional Intelligence
