Imagination

Imagination contributes to the development of children in many ways. In fact, there are numerous lifelong benefits to children’s early experiences with imagination. The benefits of imagination are cognitive, social, and emotional. Imagination supports children’s creativity, for example, as well as their problem-solving skills and their capacity to anticipate what may happen in the future. With its connection to the capacity for creative thinking, imagination is also involved in adaptability and health, and eventually may manifest itself in innovation and even entrepreneurship. During early childhood, imagination allows children to explore by using counter-factual thinking and fantasy. Perhaps most clear is the role of imagination in children’s pretending and play. Not surprisingly, then, imagination is directly related to learning and development. Recall here that the benefits ...