Unlocking Your Child’s Imagination This Summer
I remember as a kid being released to my neighborhood community. I had friends everywhere, all I had to do was look around and be friendly.
Learning the art of communication and people skills was a must when I was growing up. We’d spend hours in the park, play games, and invest time in talking about childish things and giggling.
You had to be creative to last a summer without going mad. No one wanted to stay home. We all raced to get outside and enjoy the sunshine even if it meant to bask in the sun with baby oil to see how dark you could get. I had white ditto jeans to show the contrast, and more importantly, show off my sun kissed skin.
Today our world has changed, that’s for sure, but how God created us has not. God created us to be creative and imaginative and trail blazing.
With groundbreaking technology and inside activities are our kids losing the art of communication and imagination? Maybe just a little?
Here are 5 tips to unlock your child’s imagination:
- Boredom. How many times have you heard your child say, “I’m bored.” Maybe being bored is a good thing? I think it is. Boredom requires thought. Boredom requires downtime. Boredom requires a reboot. If your child expresses that they are “bored” don’t dismiss their feelings. I know I sound like a new age parent here, however, I do think my generation, (or maybe just me), could have validated our kids’ feelings more instead of redirection. Acknowledging feelings is good. So, acknowledge the boredom but don’t own it for them. I see/understand you’re feeling bored… Acknowledge it but don’t fix it for them. The fix is their problem. Give your child space to fix it. It’s okay for them to be alone with their thoughts. It’s okay for them to brainstorm unlocking their own boredom. Let them figure it out. In life we are continually faced with all kinds of challenges and problems, this is a chance for them to get started on problem solving skills.
- Brainstorm. Sit down with your child and brainstorm activities they can do which do not include a screen. Unleash creativity. Pull out a map and ask them which country or state they would like to learn more about. This brainstorm suggestion will most likely get a plethora of complaints and perhaps some whining but don’t let that derail you. You may have to wrap it up for another time but try again. When your child sees that you’re invested in their ingenuity they will appreciate it…eventually. Give them a reason to come up with their own ideas, they may surprise you. Say, “We are going to sit here and look at each other until we figure this out.” If nothing else they will know you are serious about this imagination thing.
- Go Outside. Make them play outside. God created this great big world for us to enjoy, and going outside unlocks potential. When my kids were young (and even older) we would turn on the sprinklers and let them run in them. Once they realized this was something we were willing to do they would ask to run in the sprinklers often. Give them a bucket of water and let them dig in the mud. Take a walk in the rain (or in the sun). Have a picnic. Play with a ball. If you’re in an area that gets too hot take them to the mall and let them lead you around. Go where they want to go and buy ice cream or a pretzel or whatever treat they want. Anytime you give your child a chance to lead the way they are creating imagination and adventurousness.
- Writing. Give them paper and a pen or pencil and ask them to write something. When my kids were home on summer break I’d start each day with a writing prompt for them on a piece of paper on the kitchen table. It can say, “My favorite thing from last week was…” or “If I were a monkey I’d want to…” or “Once Upon a Time There Was a Child Who Was Forced to Write…” anything that gets them thinking. You don’t have to ask for a long story but get them thinking and writing. Always praise any effort and display stories on the fridge. All of my adult children today are great writers. Writing helps with anything they will do in life, plus it requires sharpening of the brain using many parts of the brain responsible for language to strengthening neural pathways.
- Think Outside the Box. Helping your child think outside the box will help them in many areas of life. Put them in a room with playdough, paint, crayons, hot wheels, Legos, model kits, building blocks, and anything else you can think of where they can build and create. Create a dress up box where you have different “costume” clothing pieces where they can make themselves into characters. (One of my fondest memories is watching my daughter run around in our backyard in my wedding dress. It got way more use than I ever gave it!) Help them think outside the norm, let them come up with creative ideas for them to try. Your child may surprise you. Until you give them license to think outside the box and do things they may not think they can or are allowed imagination stays locked. Then, always reward out of the box thinking.
Summers can be fun and adventurous if you help your child unlock their imagination. Cheers to being a creative parent!
“He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.” -Exodus 35:35
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” -Ephesians 2:10
For more from Lucille Williams check out her books The Impossible Kid: Parenting a Strong-Willed Child with Love and Grace, and for your marriage, From Me to We, and The Intimacy You Crave. And Turtle Finds His Talent for ages 2-6. We invite you to subscribe to LuSays.com today for regular encouragement.
