This is something I have pondered. When I was younger we didn't have a whole lot of money. So, I couldn't have the best toys that were on the market. So, what me and my siblings had was our imagination. We would play games such as simon says or hop skotch or red light, green light just to name a few. Remember these, along with just plain playing with a box and pretending its a house or a race car? I have to ask because I know someone who worked in a school and this person stun me when they said that she suggested to kids one day that they play Simon Says and the kids didn't know what she was talking about. Yet when she taught them the game they loved it and thought it was a whole lot of fun. I know that this is the electronic age, with video games and the Internet but sometimes I wonder if we sacriface something in kids when we don't send them out to play outside. To use their imgination, to play ball, to play jump rope. No now a days we have ad campaigns urging kids to get out and play. Toys are nice but I think that we were given a powerful tool for having fun in our own brains, but I feel like in today's society we could be losing that part of the fun.
Definitely, kids still have vivid imaginations, but now they are probably less inclined to use it since everything is visually presented to them on smartphone, tablet and computer screens. It's important for parents to limit their access and encourage them to let them imagination run wild through means like drawing, art, sports and playing outside.
My nephew is obsessed with video games but at the same time he also loves playing with random items like dominoes or cards so I'm not really worried that his imagination is being hindered. I think it just depends on what the personality of the person is or what environment they grow up in regardless of technological advancements.
Simon says and those other games most of us played, didn't require any imagination at all. In fact, video games probably encourage that far far more. Back in the day, you know darned well we all would have been playing video games if they were as cool as they are now lol (although, many people on these boards grew up on them). Imagination came in when we played dress up and had tea parties and created something from nothing with our art or building forts etc. Kids don't lack imagination today; we're born with it.. especially just because they don't know an old school game. They have their own version of life now and it's not "lesser than" because it's not like the stone age. They need exercise, yes. But expecting them to live like we did in the age of technology is a bit much
I think that kids today do not apply themselves when it comes to anything imaginative. Society has made it easy for them to keep their brain entertained, without working too hard to achieve satisfaction. My old three kids have just about every electronic known to man, and while I try to keep the use of each to a minimum, they still use their iPods or tablets way more than they ever use their imagination. While I know all of my kids are creative, they do not always choose to use that creativity for fun. Most of the time, if they are not using one of their electronics all I hear is "MOM! I'm bored!" I think there can be a balance, but that all depends on the allowed usage of their electroics. If we, as parents, do our best to limit the amount of time that is spent with their nose in their electronic, I think that we will still see more imagination from our kids
Kids will always be imaginative. The issue isn't video games. What I've noticed is that most kids are no longer allowed to play with other kids because the parents aren't home and these days most parents embrace this belief that there are many creeps in the neighborhood so the kids won't be safe playing outside somewhere unless there are adults [who have to work] around. When kids play with other kids they learn a lot from each other, make up fancy games, etc, etc. That IMO, is what's missing and [it's what] makes many people believe that kids don't use their imagination any more. They do. They just don't get to SHOW IT.
It is very hard, in the world we live in now, for kids to interact on a regular basis with out kids, outside of school. So many times I have been faced with a request of "Mom, can I go over so-in-so house?", and so many times I have found myself saying, no, or next time, once I get to know the parents. My husband works in law enforcement and we hear of so many horrible things happening, its hard to block that out when making a parenting choice. I still think that they have less desire to use their imagination though, with all the technology that they do have, but not having much freedom in the outside world like we did as children does play a role as to why they lean toward their electronics.
While I'd like to think that children do still have imagination, I think the increase in video games and the internet have done a lot to dampen it down a little. When children are bored its all too easy now to out them in front of a console or laptopto keep them entertained. I think its important for the parents to play a big part in this, children don't seem to be children long these days.
I agree. Also the thing is the use of technology does not hinder imagination it can be used as a tool to demonstrate it. Most kids wouldn't use Photoshop straight off or something like that but they would probably work towards it. Playing video games doesn't make a person unimaginative. It would depend on how you play it and it varies with the different titles of video games. If you're just pushing buttons and not really thinking about it then sure but with the world that the designer creates to really enjoy it I would think you have to immense yourself in the world.
Exactly. In fact, there are plenty of studies that prove video games do encourage imaginative play and these people are quicker on the ball in many aspects of life. Quicker! Video games stimulate the brain in far more ways than playing simon says. We may have got our exercise back in the day, but today's kids are using their brains in ways we never thought of. There is no comparison.
Many parents both have jobs nowadays, so they leave the kids to their vices which mean staying indoors, playing video games, and talking on the phone with their friends. It is an unsafe world out there, so the kids don't get together to play games like the good old days. I think children are lacking imagination in coming up with games to play, but their minds/their brains are using it to come up with different strategies to win the game or to beat a level. It is a trade-off really!
Yes a lot of kids have imagination . It all comes from things they encounter and not according to any other real facts. Mostly television are main source of imagination.
I have weird imagination before. I remember talking to an imaginary friend when I was a kid and then my dad would ask me who I was talking to, and I would just say nothing. Also, I thought there were real small people living inside the television screen who were the ones performing in different shows. When our television broke, it needed repairing, and I was very disappointed when the mechanic opened the T.V. up, but there were no little people there, but just wires. I don't know if kids nowadays still have that kind of a huge imagination. I see most of them glued to their tablet phones already.
Kids have great imagination, most of the games that they play with online was created by kids using their imagination. My granddaughter plays oneline games, loves anime and draws beautifully using her imagination. I do believe kids are not being stimulated enough.
I think the ability to imagine is kind of hindered by the media that's popular with children today. When I was younger I had a few toys & a bookshelf & I created my own superhero mansion. It was the pride & joy of my youth. I drew different foods I put in the cardboard fridge I made. It was the best thing I could play with because I made a lot of it myself. Nowadays there are too many screens stealing a child's time.
I think kids are relying more on electronics, but they still do have some sort of imagination. My daughter for instance has to earn TV and iPad time. If you is good during the day, she gets an hour of it at night. I think she is forced to use her imagination because of that. I also tend to buy toys that promote creativity and imagination such as; art projects, beading, speilgaben, legos, etc.
They do have imaginations, but I think they have way too much structured time, between school and extracurricular activities. When they're not participating in those, they're often watching television or movies alone or with friends, or playing video games, so I think they aren't given the opportunity to have free time and figure out what they want to do during that time. That is how many of us developed our interests, but children these days seem to be funneled into certain activities that are popular, often too many activities, and aren't given the opportunity to let their imaginations run wild. My nieces' lives are as busy as that of a CEO. They're constantly attending one activity or another, whether it's swimming, dancing, cheering, various sports, music lessons, tutoring, or fundraising activities for those, they don't have the opportunity to hang out, build family relationships, read, make up their own games, watch television or movies as a family, etc. And, the parents are just as busy, working, shuttling them around, working on various committees to support fundraising for those activities, and I just don't see the quality of life and free time that we had, that we used to enjoy.
My seven and three year old have HUGE imaginations. I listen to them play pretend with ponies and can't help to laugh to myself. They create grandiose plots of diamond theft, dances, kidnapping, magical and everything else in between. I love to hear where their stories lead.
I think that children still have imagination these days, for sure. At least, they have them until they get into the schooling system and their imagination is usually squashed out of them, I think. But when they are at home, they are very imaginative. I have walked by my three younger siblings lots of times, whilst they've been playing, and laughed at some of their story lines.
I think it really depends on the child. I have four children and they are all quite good with their imagination. Give them a sheet or a cardboard box and they can invent all sorts of scenarios for a game. I have worked in a school and there were many children who had little or no imagination and struggled with things like creative writing. I do think that a lack of opportunity for imaginative play is part of the reason for this as many activities are now technology based, but I think it does come down to thepersonality and strenghts of the individual child too.
