What if I told you that we are all born with the same superpower even though every single one of us uses it uniquely? Oh, and that if that superpower is nurtured in childhood it can serve us our entire lives by adding enchantment to our every day and in many cases even allow us to thrive as adults personally and professionally? Well, I’m here to tell you that we are all born with that kind of superpower and it’s called imagination!
More from CafeMom: 11 Ways to Raise a More Creative Kid
If you have ever watched a young child play pretend, then you know what enchantment looks like. The best part about celebrating and encouraging our children’s imagination is that it can serve them a lifetime. As children grow into adults, they can continue to tap into their creativity and use it to do things like develop new inventions, solve problems, and think outside the box — all very useful and potentially lucrative skills.
Here are seven ways to bring enchantment into your kids’ lives, but feel free to come up with many more because your imagination is always at your disposal!
Normalize saying ‘yes’ to their imaginative ideas.
Sometimes as parents we say no out of habit. Like if our kid suggests having dinner under the table instead of on the table we might say no, but why the heck not? Say yes to their ideas when it’s safe and appropriate to do so. Those yeses will help create beautiful memories.
Create your own board games.
This is an activity that is close to my heart because it’s something my kids actually introduced me to. We’ve always loved playing games together as a family and when they were quite young they loved to play with cardboard boxes as so many kids do.
At some point, they came up with the idea to combine the activities and they each created their own board games made out of cardboard. One of my daughters created a game about shoe stores — yup, she may have been influenced by my love of shoes. My other daughter created one involving trains and railroad stops, which was really cool because at the time she was afraid of trains so it helped her deal with her fear in such a creative way.
Get outdoors!
Go for a hike, look for creatures, do a nature scavenger hunt. Lay on a patch of grass in the park, look up at the clouds, and point out what they look like to you and have your child do the same. Let your child be your guide. Follow their lead. Be interested in what they are interested in.
Tell stories together.
Start off with a basic opening like “Once upon a time…” and take turns adding to the story. Who knows you might end up collaborating on an extraordinary tale together and knowing how to collaborate with others is a wonderful lifelong skill to develop.
Imagine different endings for your favorite stories.
Choose a story they love and ask them to imagine a different ending. Ask questions about what they would like to change in the story. I love this because even as an adult when a book or movie doesn’t end the way I would like it to, I come up with an alternate ending.
Cook together!
A little imagination in the kitchen can lead to a lot of deliciousness! It can also teach your child to follow directions and take chances at the same time. Recipes are great, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be improved on. Plus, knowing how to cook for yourself as an adult is never a bad thing.
Take inspiration from wonderful family films that embrace imagination.
Family films that celebrate imagination are so inspiring. Movies like IF hitting theaters on May 17 are a great way to bond. It’s about a girl who can see everyone’s imaginary friends and goes on a fantastic adventure to reunite forgotten IFs with kids who may need them. Besides the amazing cast, which includes some pretty big names, including Ryan Reynolds, Emily Blunt, Steve Carrell, and more! It’s the perfect movie for the whole family. You can find fun companion activities with the movie, like their IF Imagination Station generator, which will make your kids' coloring pages come to life!
Also remember that you don’t always have to be the one coming up with all the ideas of what to do. The children in your life are full of ideas and wouldn’t be thrilled to let you in on them if you ask.
