Building Character in Your Little Characters: Use Their Imagination
When my boys turned 7 and 4, a dear friend gave them each one of the best gifts they've ever received. They were capes, homemade capes made from a silky king-sized bed sheet she had picked up at a yard sale. Perfect props to help them use their imagination.
The capes were copper-colored and trimmed with colorful binding, making them rather exotic-looking - and perfect to use to play dress-up. Over the years, the capes were used to turn my boys into Batman and Robin, two of the three wise men, and many more characters, most ones that they invented, characters too numerous to  count.Â
My little Batman and Robin are all grown up now. The little characters they were have turned into wise young men and I truly believe that the opportunities they had to use their imaginations contributed to the wisdom that they exhibit today. Creative make-believe play became an important vehicle for them to learn about life and, indeed, to learn how to be men.Â
Read on to find out how I believe that happened and why, if you have little boys (or girls), nurturing their imaginations with creative play could be one of the most important gifts you give them as they grow up.
Imagination and Problem Solving
Who am I to argue with Einstein?
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."- Albert Einstein, Swiss-American mathematician, physicist and public philosopher (1879-1955)
I looked for books to include here to support the idea that imagination is important for developing problem-solving skills, but everything I found was too academic or contained very silly-sounding "exercises" for parents to use with their kids in order to make them think. I decided to leave out those books and, instead, leave you with the above quote from Albert Einstein, who certainly has a reputation for having solved a rather remarkable scientific problem. I figure if Einstein believes that imagination is more important than knowledge, who am I to argue with that? Besides, I'm a parent who watched two boys tape straws to hard hats to turn them into football helmets; I've seen the effect of imagination on problem-solving!
So, instead of reading about exercises to enhance your kids' imaginations, get down on the floor with them and play cars or dolls or build with Legos and Lincoln Logs. Engage your children in creative play. Turn them loose, follow their lead and watch them solve problems that you didn't even know existed. Have fun!
Toys that Build Imagination
Lincoln The Original Logs-Fort Timberland With 200pc
For 90 years, Original Lincoln Logs building sets more...3 points
Playmobil My Take-Along Farm
The Playmobil My Take Along Farm House is the 61-p more...2 points
Playmobil Take Along Dollhouse
This PLAYMOBIL® My Take Along Dollhouse folds and more...2 points
101 Piece Play Food Assortment
This Play Food Set from Step 2 will provide your l more...2 points
Ultimate LEGO® DUPLO® Building Set
Little builders with big imaginations will love di more...1 point
Playmobil Nativity Set
Children will love setting up their own nativity f more...1 point
Commemorative Edition Tin
Rediscover the Lincoln Logs experience. Share this more...1 point
Gears! Gears! Gears!® Beginner's Building Set
The perfect introduction to building toys, this co more...1 point
Big Wood-Like Blocks
Features Looks like wood. Big soft foam building b more...1 point
LEGO® City Advent Calendar (7907)
It's 24 days of LEGO building fun with the LEGO Ci more...0 points
Fisher-Price Musical Tea Set
It's tea time! Kids will love to host tea parties more...0 points
Hasbro Playskool Busy Gears
Busy Gears encourages hands-on exploration and dis more...0 points
Kid-O Bilibo- Orange
Bilibo - Irrepressible Imagination! Magically attr more...0 points
Imagine Being a Scientist
Kids love examining their world up close and personal.
Janice VanCleave's Microscopes and Magnifying Lenses: Mind-boggling Chemistry and Biology Experiments You Can Turn Into Science Fair Projects
Amazon Price: $5.64 (as of 12/07/2009)
Janice VanCleave's books are terrific and this one is no exception.
Why does a water drop magnify?
How do crystals form?
What does the inside of a seed look like?
With the help of this book and a handy-dandy magnifying glass
Spies & Secret Codes for Creative Little Characters
Nurture their secret spy instincts!
Everyone loves to discover secrets, and making up secret codes is something that most kids love doing. Here are some resources to help nurture those Sherlock Holmes instincts that all of us seem to have (especially little boys).The All-American Boy's Spy Cipher is a replica of the Caesar Cipher used by signalers in the army of the Confederacy. A great tool to carry in his pocket just in case he needs a secret code in a hurry!
The book, Codes, Ciphers, Secrets, and Cryptic Communications, is a very readable world history of clandestine communication includes illustrations, diagrams, and puzzles that instruct readers in how to become amateur cryptographers. It's the last word on secret languages!
For the serious boy spy, a quality spy pen and black light will allow your super-sleuth child to write invisible messages.
Don't be surprised if you parents want to play spy, too! You can find all of these Boy Detective acessories and much more on this page.
P.S. Don't tell them they're learning while they're having fun!
(Click on the bold links to see details of each item.)
"Perhaps Imagination is Only Intelligence Having Fun"
I love this quote by George Scialabba and the colorful poster that it appears on.
What? You Don't Have a TV?
(or Yes, you can listen to the Super Bowl on the radio.)
It must have been Super Bowl XXII, January 31, 1988. Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos. In my mind's eye I see a picture of our little family huddled around the stereo speakers, listening to the big game on the radio. Yes, the radio. We didn't own a TV.Our boys were Redskin fans and I'm trying to remember why and how they even knew about the team. It was probably because of where we lived; in Virginia all the stores were stocked with Redskins fan stuff year-round. Partly it was because of Brett, the little boy who stayed with us before and after school. Brett's dad was a huge football fan and so, quite naturally, was Brett. When he'd come to our house on Monday mornings during football season, football was his favorite topic and our boys loved to hear all about it. Brett's excitement was contagious.
Since we didn't have a TV, our boys used their imaginations and our dress-up closet to create all sorts of costumes and scenarios, including football helmets and great game plays. They read prolifically and library books contributed unlimited fuel for the imagination bonfire. I love to look back through our photo albums to see some of the costumes they came up with. (The face guards on the football "helmets" in the picture were made from taped-on drinking straws.)
Living in Virginia Beach gave us lots of opportunities for short family field trips to historical sites, places rich with wonderful stories that the kids would continue to study and read about and act upon when we were back home. (It helped that we home-schooled.) Visits to places such as Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown were just the beginning of both our sons' lifelong interest in history. Visits to coastal North Carolina, home of Blackbeard the Pirate, led to our older son writing and acting out stories about his own pirate characters. (When he dressed up, we called him Pirate Frecklebeard.)
Maybe if we had had television back then our sons still would have done well in school and grown up to be fine young men, but I can't help believing that allowing their young brains to fill first with pictures from their own imaginations gave them an excellent start in building their thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as their character. If I had it to do over, I'd do it the same way with lots of books and field trips, a big dress-up closet, some great radio shows, and lots of time for their little brains to mix it all together.By the way, the Redskins won that Super Bowl game, 42 -10. I'm sure the Lone Ranger and Tonto thought up a great way to celebrate!
Eliminate the TV? You decide.
Living Outside the Box: TV-Free Families Share Their Secrets
Why is it that now, when Americans have more leisure time than ever before, we feel we have less and less? Could the increasingly large role of television in our lives be part of the reason? . . .
Amazon Price: $13.46 (as of 12/07/2009)
The Elephant in the Living Room: Make Television Work for Your Kids
American children watch television an average of 3 hours per day, and many parents sheepishly concede that they rely on television as an electronic babysitter. But TV is not necessarily harmful to kids. The authors present . . .
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 12/07/2009)
The Plug-In Drug: Television, Computers, and Family Life
From the description: Extensive TV watching alters children's relations with the real world, depriving them of far more valuable real life experiences, especially playing and reading. . . .
Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 12/07/2009)
Endangered Minds: Why Children Don't Think And What We Can Do About It
From a reviewer: If you are an advocate of letting your children watch "good TV", like PBS, this book will be a hard pill to swallow. I read it years ago, and loved it. I occasionally go back and reread a passage or two. . . .
Amazon Price: $11.70 (as of 12/07/2009)
Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television
A total departure from previous writing about television, this book is the first ever to advocate that the medium is not reformable. Its problems are inherent in the technology itself and are so dangerous -- to personal health and sanity, to the environment, and to democratic processes -- that TV ought to be eliminated forever.
Amazon Price: $11.92 (as of 12/07/2009)
Adventures in Odyssey
Modern Radio Adventures
Adventures in Odyssey is a program we regularly listened to on the radio, one that really got our imaginations rolling. When the video versions came out, I didn't even want to look at the covers; I didn't want my mind's version of John Avery Whitaker to be taken over by an artist's rendering!
These are highly recommended!
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Old-Time Radio Shows - Instead of TV
Some of the old favorites. Close your eyes, listen and use your imagination.
Must-Have Books - Every Child Needs At Least One
How-to Books for Boys and Girls
When you choose which copy is best for your child, read the descriptions and the reviews carefully. Personally, I would choose the older Handy books first. They're sure to get the imagination juices flowing.
The Dangerous Book for Boys
The Dangerous Book is a guide book for dads as well as their sons, as a reminder of lore and technique that have not yet been completely lost to the digital age.
The American Boy's Handy Book: What to Do and How to Do It, Centennial Edition
If Huckleberry Finn were to settle down, somewhere out there in the territory, and decide to become an author, he might very well come up with a book like this one . . . evoking the kind of boyhood that nearly every American man would like to have had himself, and hope that his son (or daughter) might still enjoy.
How To Be The Best At Everything (The Boys' Book)
How to do almost anything in one handy book. Found yourself in a sticky situation? Inside you'll learn how to escape quicksand (p. 40), build a raft (p.41), start a survival fire (p.99), or fly a helicopter (p. 11). Want to impress your friends? Now you can rip a phonebook in half (p. 35), hypnotize a chicken (p. 56), or read their minds (p. 73).
The Daring Book for Girls
Whether it's female heroes in history, secret note-passing skills, science projects, friendship bracelets, double dutch, cats cradle, the perfect cartwheel or the eternal mystery of what boys are thinking, this book has it all.
American Girls Handy Book: How to Amuse Yourself and Others (Nonpareil Books)
If Tom Sawyer had been a girl, Aunt Polly would certainly have seen to it that she had a copy of this book and with a heartfelt blessing. Its a magical cornucopia of projects, devices, toys, gifts, dolls, recipes, decorations, perfumes, wax and clay modelling, oil and water-color painting and games, all with clear and practical directions for how to make and play them. Vintage Americana by the Beard sisters, two of the founders of Girl Scouting in the United States.
What Can You Do With a Little Red Wagon?
This one's a classic!
No child should grow up without a classic little red wagon.
Radio Flyer Classic Red Wagon
Amazon Price: $71.99 (as of 12/07/2009)
This is the Classic Red Wagon that has made Radio Flyer popular for over 70 years. Classic, safe, and versatile, this award winning wagon is a favorite for children and parents alike.
The famous red all-steel body is seamless with no-scratch edges, so children will not scrape themselves. The no-pinch ball joint keeps little fingers safe. This wagon features a controlled turning radius which prevents tipping. The extra-long handle makes the wagon easy for pulling and will fold under the wagon for compact storage. Steel wheels and rubber tires can stand up to the toughest terrain, and give children a smooth ride.
Variations on fhe Little Red Wagon Theme
What a selection!
The little red wagon has grown up! Check out these versions, from indoor walker wagons for toddlers to John Deere wagons for your little farmer, there's a "little red wagon" for every imagination!
Radio Flyer All-Terrain Wagon
If you grew up with a Radio Flyer wagon but lost i more...1 point
Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon
Designed for maximum stability, the durable molded more...0 points
Radio Flyer Pathfinder Wagon
Whether towing supplies for a picnic on the beach more...0 points
Radio Flyer All-Terrain Steel and Wood Wagon
It's a full-sized stake-side wagon with natural fi more...0 points
Radio Flyer Ultimate Family Wagon
This versatile Radio Flyer wagon features an all-n more...0 points
Radio Flyer Kid's Wheelbarrow
Grown-up's garden chores are kid's play with this more...0 points
John Deere - 36 in. Steel Wagon with Wooden Stake Sides
This ERTL John Deere Steel Wagon is a fun way to g more...0 points
John Deere 28-Inch Steel Wagon
Kids and wagons go together like John Deere and fa more...0 points
Radio Flyer Ranger Wagon
Give your children the the classic gift of Radio F more...0 points
Little Tikes Adventure Wagon
With extra high sides, this roomy wagon promises a more...0 points
Jeep Stake Wagon
This sturdy deluxe wagon has oversized rugged, kno more...0 points
Imagine Having a Horse - Start a Collection!
What child doesn't want a horse? Bet you did, once upon a time.
Some kids dream of horses. They dream of being a cowboy or cowgirl, maybe riding in a rodeo or riding alongside Tonto, chasing bad guys. Some children are lucky enough to get the horse of their dreams, but for most, especially "city kids," their horses are destined to remain in their dreams.
My friend, Sally, sells collectible playing cards on eBay. Now, what does that have to do with horses or, for that matter, with imagination? How about playing cards with horses on the front? How about a collection of playing cards with horses? I wrote a blog post the other day about using playing cards to teach life skills and Sally added a great comment to my post, pointing out how educational playing cards can be. Use the front of the cards to practice math and use the pictures on the cards to teach drawing, for instance. So, put all of those things together, horses, playing cards, and imagination, and you come out with an educational hobby that helps to nurture a horse-loving child's imagination.
Here are a few horse playing cards that Sally has for sale in her eBay store. If your child prefers airplanes or buildings or ships to horses, Sally can help you there, too. Just click on a card then explore the others that she has in her store.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byRide 'em, Cowpoke!
Rocking and ride-on horses for aspiring cowboys and cowgirls.
Plush Pony Rocking Horse
There's no horsing around - this rocking pony is a more...0 points
Radio Flyer Classic Rock and Bounce Pony with Sound
Make any kid's dream come true with their very own more...0 points
Radio Flyer Liberty Spring Horse with Sound
Radio Flyer "Liberty" Spring Horse. Let more...0 points
Radio Flyer Classic Wood Rocking Horse
CLASSIC ROCKING HORSE - Classic Children's Toy. Na more...0 points
Rody Horse: Blue
Rody Jumping Horse: Color is Blue Original Rody by more...0 points
Inflatable 'Rody Horse' Children's Ride-On Rocking Horse: Color is Pink
Rody Jumping Horse: Color is Pink. Original Rody b more...0 points
Tango Interactive Ride-on Horse Pinto
This is an amazing toy that will become your child more...0 points
Melissa & Doug Plush Rocking Horse
All of our premium quality plush creatures are inc more...0 points
Lucky the Talking Plush Spring Horse
Calling all junior cowpokes! Saddle up for a wild more...0 points
Don't Forget the Hat
It's the cowpoke's most important accessory!
Junior Cowboy Hat
Amazon Price: (as of 12/07/2009)
Little cowboys as well as cowgirls will love this traditional brown cowboy hat.
One size fits most kids. Approximately 21 3/4" circumference around inside of hat. Made of felt. This is the perfect cowboy hat for you when you're headin' out west!
Hats for Every Imagination
Start with a hat. Any hat. Add a kid. Stand back and watch the imagination work!
If you can only buy one dress-up item for your child, make it a hat. What follows comes naturally.
Kid-Size Career Hats
Who do you want to be today? A fireman? A construc more...0 points
Astronaut Helmet
This astronaut helmet completes the Little Astrona more...0 points
Astronauts Cloth Space Helmet
A great astronauts space helmet for kids (and adul more...0 points
Jr Executive Chef HAT ONLY - Child Size
Jr Executive Chef HAT ONLY - Child Size0 points
KNIGHT HELMET
Plastic knight helmet, one size fits most. Great f more...0 points
CONSTRUCTION HARD HAT by Toysmith
GENERAL FEATURES: The Construction Hard Hat by Toy more...0 points
Child Viking Helmet
Prepare for adventure on the high seas! The Child more...0 points
Generic Child's Pilot Hat
Daron is America's largest source of aviation rela more...0 points
Sleeping Beauty Tiara
Disney Sleeping Beauty Aurora Deluxe Tiara Include more...0 points
White Sailor Hat
Sail Away with Your Halloween Costume Sailor Cap! more...0 points
Fire Engine Fun Fireman's Hat
Accessorize your little firefighter with the Fire more...0 points
Aeromax Fire Fighter Helmet
Jr. Fire Fighter, Helmet only Adj Youth Size Ages more...0 points
- Kids White Chef Hat - One Size
Features: White chef hat. Available size: One size more...0 points
Stocking the Costume Closet
Costumes and Props
Homemade items and yard sale finds are great to use for dress-up for kids, but there are so many great kids' costumes available these days. What does your child want to be when he or she grows up? What's his current historical interest? A costume, hat, or prop can help make some of those dreams come true - and they make great Christmas or birthday presents.
Sir Peter Knight Child Deluxe Costume
Become the brave Sir Peter of Narnia in this Delux more...1 point
Jr. White Astronaut Suit
This top-quality Astronaut Suit is sure to please more...0 points
Kids Native American Indian Costume
Our Kid's Indian Costume features an Indian Chief more...0 points
Award Winning Deluxe Police Dress Up Costume Set
Winner of the 2006 Preferred Choice Award from Cre more...0 points
Sailor Man Costume - Sail the High Seas as this First Mate!
Whether Gene Kelly or Popeye - this Sailor costume more...0 points
Kids GI Jumpsuit Costume (Helmet and Gun not included)
Here comes GI Kid in this Cotton Camouflage Jumpsu more...0 points
Deluxe Navy Admiral Costume Set
Deluxe Navy Admiral Set - Product comes complete w more...0 points
Deluxe Metal Costume Stethoscope
For Doctor or Nurse Costumes this Stethoscope is t more...0 points
Historical Colonial General Dress up Costume Set
Colonial General Set - Product comes complete with more...0 points
Sleep tight, little superhero.
Pretend Play for Lovely Little Ladies
Can you come for tea?
I'm not sure there's anything that a little lady loves to do more than have a tea party. Serving tea with this Beautiful Girlhood Tea Set not only allows her to show love to her family and friends, it helps her develop hospitality skills and manners, too.If she likes to dress for tea, she will love a pair of adorable crocheted gloves.
And to review old-fashioned, lady-like, practical wisdom, How to Be a Lady is something that mothers and daughters can read and work through together.
One lump of sugar for me, please. Thank you very much!
(Click on the bold links to see details of each item.)
Preschoolers Love Tea Parties, Too
Don't leave out the little ones!
Fisher-Price Musical Tea Set
Amazon Price: $22.98 (as of 12/07/2009)
Turn an ordinary lunch into an elegant event with sandwich cut-outs, lacy placemats, and pretty place cards.
The Musical Tea Set features "tip me over" ... and hear magic pouring sounds.
Includes four cups, saucers and spoons, creamer, sugar bowl with lid, PLUS everything fits on tray for serving.
For ages 24 months to five years.
Feedback?
How do you nuture your child's imagination? I'd love to read your comments.
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Reply
- Treasures-By-Brenda Treasures-By-Brenda Nov 23, 2009 @ 1:53 pm
- There's a lot of imagination on this page. You just need a boy tea set!
We still have our trunk full of dress up clothes, much to my husband's dismay.
Blessed
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Reply
- merylvdm merylvdm Nov 21, 2009 @ 10:34 pm
- Great lens. We have very little TV in our home. My younger 2 play with their stuffed animals a lot. They have even used them in stop montion animation movies they have made.
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Reply
- _Joan_ _Joan_ Oct 24, 2009 @ 12:44 am
- Fantastic lens! It blows me away sometimes to hear the ideas that come from my 10-year-old. His imagination runs toward analyzing situations around him and coming up with solutions and alternatives. He's done it since he was a pre-schooler.
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- GrowWear GrowWear Oct 11, 2009 @ 12:40 pm
- Flying in on my new Angel wings to bless this beautiful lens. Love.
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- bloomingrose bloomingrose Oct 7, 2009 @ 11:24 pm
- I killed my TV when my eldest son was six - never regretted it. They saw TV other places, and we watched movies sometimes, but I do think my kids turned out to use their imagination and want to be more active because of this. My little one was getting addicted to "Blue's Clue's" or something, the day after we got rid of the TV he lined all his stuffed toys up and started teaching them something. Both of my kids were musicians, cooks, etc. and we have benefited by not having the boob tube around.
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- theraggededge theraggededge Sep 3, 2009 @ 2:09 pm
- Fantastic! Lensrolled to "My Child is Obsessed With Lego" and "Organic Education".
I could happily get rid of our TV but my daughter watches various Disney sitcoms like Zack & Cody, Hannah Montana, etc. then goes off and recreates the sets with crayons, pencils and paper, and writes out her own scripts. She's only 7 so I am quite impressed with the way TV sets off her imagination. I encourage both kids to switch off as soon as the program has finished rather than let them sit there and moronically watch whatever comes on. I think teaching/modelling discernment is the key.
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- Mickie_G Mickie_G Aug 14, 2009 @ 7:58 am
- You have a lot of great activities here for nurturing imagination in kids.
My grandson loves Lincoln Logs!
Favored you and lensrolled to several of the lenses I created for my grandkids (they're about toys and such!)
FYI--I am going to steal some of your ideas!
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- anaturalphenomenon anaturalphenomenon May 22, 2009 @ 8:55 pm
- Good stuff! We can't encourage free time and exploring creativity and imagination enough.
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- thrivingmom thrivingmom May 21, 2009 @ 5:31 pm
- I've never had much of an imagination. I didn't even play pretend as a child. It's so important to foster an imagination in our children and encourage them to dream big. Great lens!
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- monarch13 monarch13 May 8, 2009 @ 1:54 pm
- How awesome! Thank you for sharing. Rolled to Parents Guide to Healthy Kids and 5 stars! PS- Congrats on your well-deserved purple star!
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Thanks for helping to spread the word - Imagination!
Play, indeed, combined with some very serious learning! A unique kind of learning which involves the development of neurological pathways children utilize for reasoning and higher level thinking, skills throughout an entire lifetime! Learning becomes fun for all with toys that entertain and educate here at A Childs Toy! Enter the land of Special teaching tools and aids, award winning toys, educational puzzles, classic toys, science toys, activity center toys, doctors office and lobby toys, pretend play furniture, roller coaster toys, magnetic fun toys, and the latest news and reviews on toys.
About the Author
More about Susan52
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Lensmaster Susan52 has been a member since April 15 2007, has rated 3,175 lenses, favorited 642, and has created 165 lenses from scratch. Susan D donates their royalties to Soldiers Angels. This member's top-ranked page is "Kindle Wireless Reading Device from Amazon". See all my lenses
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by Susan52
Susan52 is a retired homeschooling mom whose little characters have grown up to become outstanding young men.
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