Research shows that drawing, storytelling, and putting together wacky situations with stuffed animals have all proven to make kids happier and curious. So never underestimate the power of imaginative play.
When your kid imitates a real action with a toy, like pretending to answer a toy phone or cooking food in plastic kitchen toys, consider it a big development – as your child is going in the right direction in terms of healthy imaginative skills.
As Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world,” parents should focus on enhancing their toddler’s imagination and creativity skills rather than academics.
Children need a warm, nurturing, and a playful learning environment, where they can explore and get creative. Global Indian International School in Noida offers exactly that.
GIIS teaching methods and high-quality learning materials are intended to arouse curiosity and stimulate the imagination among tiny tots.
Being one of the leading CBSE schools in Noida, GIIS encourages the little ones to take charge, ask questions, provide suggestions, investigate, utilize all of their senses, experiment with new words and sounds, and be creative in any way they can!
While the school is doing the best it can, parents can contribute too by including some of the below mentioned activities in their daily lifestyle.
1. Read, Talk, and Tell Stories
Reading books and stories to your kids would develop a life-long affinity for books in them. It is one of the best ways possible to spark imagination among toddlers. Reading also helps in developing language and vocabulary skills, while subtly fuelling curiosity.
Research suggests that consistently reading to your child for at least 30 minutes a day helps in developing imagination and creativity.
Apart from reading books to your kids, also tell them your own invented stories. Let them dwell into your imagination. This would help them understand that imagination has no boundaries and can take them anywhere.
You can also play a fun game, wherein you start a story and ask them to continue after a bit. You can take turns and see where the story goes.
It is also important to talk to your child on a daily basis about the daily life things. Ask them questions that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no, let them think, speak, describe, and imagine.
2. Play as Much as Possible
Playtime is not just to build a stronger bond with your child, but also to engage them and get them to think creatively while having some silly fun. While it is not feasible to take out a lot of time to play, start playing simple interactive games as you do some chores.
As you drop your children to school, play spelling/math games or make animal sounds and ask them to guess which animal is it. Try keeping your children occupied if they are stuck with you in the traffic.
3. Schedule Screen-Free Time
We are living in a fast paced world, surrounded by technology. When we ourselves cannot stay far from our mobile phones, laptops and iPads, how can we expect our children to do that?
After all, children imitate what their parents do - that’s the reason maximum children have their own personal mobile phones and iPads from a very young age.
Too much screen time makes children passive and harms their health and mind. Gluing eyes at the screen does little to build imagination and creativity.
Therefore, it is advisable to limit the screen time and set some rules, like no phones at the dining table or during car rides. This will help them understand the importance of family time and how doing things with family can be exciting too.
4. Go Outdoors
Free play and going outdoors are excellent for your child’s creativity, and offer a wealth of other cognitive and social-emotional benefits. Plan picnics or Sunday outings and let them lie down on the grass and watch the clouds floating.
Let them climb trees and collect snowflakes. Let them shower in the rain and throw stones in puddles. Let them sit at the beach and listen to waves or collect seashells. Possibilities of learning new things while being outdoors are endless. Let the kids pick what they want to do.
5. Indulge Your Child in Mind-Stimulating Activities
You need to let your child take the lead as you plan some mind-stimulating games and activities for them. It can be as easy as making a sandcastle or a cookie-baking session, a Lego battle or painting the pavement with sidewalk chalk, playing dress-up together or going for a nature walk.
Allow your child to lead, and then follow him or her. The more you dive in and allow yourself to be completely immersed in the fantasy built by them, the more they will indulge.
6. Create Art Together
We understand that not every parent is artistic or good at painting. But by creating art together, we don’t necessarily mean to just draw and paint together.
This could also mean indulging in a new hobby, or inventing a new recipe, or making a song together by putting in the names of your family members and the things they do or like.
You just need to make sure that your child is also involved in these activities along with you. You can also dance and sing together or paint the garage of your house together. All these activities will engage your child and instill creativity in them.
GIIS, one of the leading schools in Noida, understands the importance of enhancing creativity and imagination among young children. Young children require positive and caring social experience for the growth and development of the brain as well as language.
Therefore, the GIIS curriculum for young children doesn’t primarily focus on academics, but the holistic development of the children.
