I do think that it depends on the child. But I also think that most children these days have wild and vivid imaginations, but then we have systems like socialization, and the schooling system, that essentially beats the creativity, and imagination out of all kids. I also feel like this is done of purpose. Children need more freedom, I think.
Yes, I believe so. I have two nephews, and they like playing with their toys. I always get amazed when they come up with the strangest stories when playing. They also use the weirdest alternatives when they lack a toy. Their imagination only gets "tampered" with when older people give them electronic devices because they want children to stop making messes. At least this was what I observed when I was with my aunts and uncles.
Kids will always have them! It's part of the developmental process. They will just manifest them in different ways. Just look around the internet and you will see kids doing some very imaginative and creative stuff.
I find kids these days do still have imaginations but need to have they help develop that imagination. When they are playing video games all their imagination and creativity is gone. I find kids require instant feedback and gratification. If more parents bought their kids blocks, lego, building toys, dolls, action figures, doll houses they would be able to sustain their attention for longer periods of time. Even giving kids boxes, cardboard, paper, scissors and see what they can create. I teach grade 6 and I can tell which kids have great imaginations and which kids don't. I see it in their art work, writing, drama arts.
Many people think kids are losing their imaginations because of the boom in cell phones, tablets, laptops, and video games. However, my little sisters love these games and have loads of creativity. They adore Minecraft and come up with the most creative concoctions I could never think up.
I agree with this. I have worked with a lot of kids that haven't had a lot of parental support / interaction, and it shows. It's obvious which ones were read to, and made to read out loud, and discuss books and stories, movies, games, etc. I much prefer board games and others where physical activity and social interaction are involved. Even card games can teach about sorting, colors, counting, calculating, turn taking, and other skills that are needed not only in school, but in the real world. Interacting with children helps stimulate their brains, and having them come up with solutions to situations that arise can also help develop their imaginations.
On this point alone I think we need to make some distinctions. Yes, a lot of video games promote dull, lifeless thinking, but there are so many games out right now that absolutely promote imagination and creativity, and most of them are wildly popular. Minecraft alone is going to be responsible for developing some of the most imaginative minds of the next generation. I don't know that 'kids these days' have any more or any less imagination than kids of previous generations. I think we older folks have a tendency to look back on our former selves a little too fondly in many respects. There are more outlets for creativity than ever before - it's just that the older generations don't know, don't understand, or otherwise reject these outlets as somehow wrong.
Definitely not as much as they used to. There's so much entertainment and parents are lazy these days. They'd rather put their kid in front of a TV set or video game, than teach them themselves. Parents have a lot to do with kids having an active imagination. Sometimes I'll read a story to my daughter but act out the characters and storyline. I make it more exciting for them. We also build things like forts and pretend to be monsters, etc. Just simple things like that. Kids really enjoy that stuff and love it. They need to have that type of interaction.
Exactly, thank you. Everyone looks back so fondly on the days the street lights raised us and when we played outside all day yadda yadda. I missed my mom a lot. I was bored a lot. Even when I was having fun LOL. I had tons of imagination.. because I was alone a lot to need it for entertainment. But I also enjoyed reading a LOT.. and that was automatic imagination. Even watching tv.. people may zone out to it, but if that's how they feel entertained, then it's not time wasted. And I bet they still learn and evolve while doing it. Even if it's not in a way someone else would approve of (psshhh). And video games.. and pretty much everything made for kids today. Imagination, imagination, imagination.. because that's what we are.. a big fat brain with a body to move it around. We can't help but imagine! lol. Who is anyone to say how someone uses their imagination (or not) isn't as good as THEIR way lol. Everyone needs to understand how humans work. You're either born with "imagination" or you're not. You're either born with the ability to build on it, or you're not. You're either the type to grow with your imagination, or the type to find it no longer serves you as is and you imagine in new ways.. imagination doesn't go away. We just can't spend our days imagining we're princes and princesses anymore, so imagination shifts.. it shifts for kids too, they can't be expected to like and do the same things every day for the rest of their lives. And we need to stop holding kids up to very old standards and expect them to take all these steps back to make ourselves feel better. We had our time.. it's not to be repeated or we'll stop evolving. I know many want that, but that too isn't human nature.
I agree that kids are not using their imaginations like they should. Even I know what Simon says is and played it as a child. I remember also playing duck duck goose and 7up in the classroom. Then if we were outside, we played games like red rover. Sometimes even reading a good book can stimulate your imagination.
