Are our children losing their imagination?

Camilla Rigby - 20 Oct 17

Imagination – what does that mean to you? For us, it’s innocence, escapism; a safe world where anything is possible.

As parents, we know the guilt that our children are experiencing a childhood that’s different ours; iPads, X-Boxes, Netflix…an ‘always on’ world that encourages children to consume. Research suggests that Children spend only half as much time playing outside as their parents did – and we know that playing outdoors not only stimulates children’s imagination but encourages role play.

People will argue that computers and TVs existed 30 years ago. The difference was that it took hours to load up a game of pacman on the Commodore 64 and we only had two TV channels that played cartoons at set times of the day. Days were punctuated by something called stop cues – programmes that lasted for 20 minutes and having to wait a week for the next episode; board games with a clear beginning & end; computer games that actually had an end; and batteries in a Walkman that would run out (frequently).

But why does it matter, really?

Research reviewed by Berk, Mann & Ogan, (2006) and Hirsh-Pasek, Golinkoff, Berk, & Singer (2009) suggests that make-believe games are forerunners of self-regulation including reduced aggression, delay of gratification, civility, and empathy. It really does shape the personalities of our children and we all have a responsibility, as parents, to make sure that our children are given enough time to freely play and use their imagination.

We also know that our world is changing. Up to 60% of jobs that currently exist will be automated in the future. Scary, right? But something that robots cannot replicate is imagination and our ability to think creatively. It’s imperative that for our children to succeed – both professionally and personally – that they are encouraged and supported to explore and expand their imagination.

So how much?

Starting in reverse with how much screen-time – the general consensus from medical professionals in the UK and US is that children under two do not need to be exposed to any screen time, and children over two should not exceed two hours per day. That is right up to teens and many professionals also suggest screen-free days.

So in a twelve hour day – that leaves ten hours a day for children to play. Many parents (us included!) can find repetitive and forced play a little dull. A study on BMJ Open showed that the amount of time fathers spend with children is less important than how much they enjoyed parenting. Fathers who took pleasure in caring for their young children were 28% less likely to have children with behavioural problems at both nine and 11 years old. So it really is about quality over quantity, and giving children small bursts of play, rather that trying to dedicate a whole morning or afternoon. It’s also extremely important that children learn to play independently.

Whilst we’re no parenting experts, we’d like to think that we’re pretty good at playing! So here are some of our favourite activities to get the children using their imagination:

A walk in the woods – we’ll look out for toadstalls, make fairy houses, build dens, look for prehistoric weapons, collect conkers and generally find ways to keep their minds whirring throughout.

Build lego with a small tasks thrown in – so “I need a vehicle that can travel through time and also get to the moon and back, GO!”, then sit back and watch as thier minds go in to overdirve.

Write stories – children don’t need to be writing to write a book. Simply fold over the paper, give them pens or pencils and let them free. You can always annotate their pictures afterwards, which is often just as special.

Perform plays – yes, we’re obviously very biased here, but plays are a wonderful way to get children’s imagination firing! You can even continue on from the story that they’ve written. This usually works well with children of mixed ages and if you’re feeling brave, you can give them a chance to experiment with props and make-up!

Mask making – this is a two-in-one activity that will require your help early on, but the children will then be able to play independently. Ask your children to ‘design’ a mask by drawing it, then help them to actually make it! Once made, you let them free to run wild, bringing their story and character to life!

What are your favourite games for helping to spark children’s imagination? As we begin our quest to #saveimagination we’d love you to share the games your children are playing!

Camilla Rigby

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