Nurturing little imaginations

The imagination is a wonderful thing and watching that develop in children is something very special indeed.

A while back I wrote an article on little imaginations and looked at how simple things like jumping off the wall with your cycle helmet on can transform into something super exciting like skydiving.

I have said before that our big boy is normally the leader when it comes to creative thinking. The children are however, very in-tune with each other and are able bounce their ideas off each other when it comes to their latest plan or grand idea. It is fascinating to watch how their ideas develop and I hold my breath waiting to discover what I will be asked to produce next in terms of materials to support their next adventure.

Some of this creativity is inspired by movies and as a family we love movies. The rest largely comes from reading a diverse range of books and having a genuine desire to be swallowed up in a great story.

The Harry Potter books are certainly responsible for broadening the children’s imaginations, but reading in general, and the stunning illustrations in many children’s books have been really important.

As a child, I remember that I rated a book on the ability it had to make me feel I was part of the story and I think that applies to my children as well.

A wonderful new book that does just that is Danny Chaucer’s Flying Saucer. It is the new book from Christopher Peter – A fun and engaging sci-fi adventure with strong themes about friendship and bullying. Fantastic for children 7+ either for home or in school.

Danny Chaucer is lonely. Life’s boring since his best friend moved away. Nat Ford is the new girl in class and spends half her time trying to dodge the school bullies.

Nothing interesting ever happens in their dead-end village. Nothing that is until one still, starry night when something lands in the trees behind Danny’s house. Then the sinister Captain Frost turns up, looking for something. There might be only one way to escape – and that’s up… – this is just the sort of book to inspire little imaginations and such a fun read all together!

This exciting story is one the children will love and it is absolutely one of those books that has the power to transport you directly into the story! This makes it a great book to inspire reluctant readers to pick up.

The book is out on 25th June 2015! Perfect timing for some summer reading for your children and some inspiration for their next great adventure.

My top tips for nurturing little imaginations are:

  • Read lots
  • Read a diverse range of books
  • Ask questions after reading the book
  • Encourage children to retell the story in their own words
  • Watch movies
  • Encourage creativity
  • Encourage role play and dressing up
  • Encourage children to play with simple items – a wooden spoon can be a wand, a microphone, a sword and many other things!
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4 comments

  1. I am always trying to get creative and help nurture my child and their imaginations. I feel like B is so much better at it then MM not sure if its a boy or girl thing, or just an age thing or a personal preference but always good to help boost it none the less great tips here hun.Thank you so much for linking up to Share With Me #sharewithme

    1. Yes – i’d be interested to see the research on any boy/girl differences. I’m not sure if it is that or that they just have different interests.

  2. This is a great post! I am always keen on doing this! I’m known for it actually and possibly after reading this o should write a post that’s been sitting in my brain for a while. Reading opens up a world that can be endless.
    Thanks for linking up with us on the #bigfatlinky hope to see you there this week

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