Raising Children Network: the Australian parenting website
  • Suitable for 5-8Years

Imagining and creating: school-age children

By Raising Children Network
 
 

Your school-age child's imagination and creativity are skyrocketing. New experiences fuel this creativity and add to the store of information your child has about the world.

What to expect

By school age, your child will probably:

  • have a clearer understanding of what’s real and what’s pretend
  • be able to plan out art that she wants to create
  • enjoy learning a musical instrument
  • have a rich imagination and enjoy pretend play.

Your child now has the ability to dream up elaborate situations and invent amazing ‘machines’. On top of this, she probably still loves to retreat into the world of imagination. You can encourage this flourishing imagination by helping him write stories, make plays and paint pictures.

Research shows that kids can't resist being creative if they are given the chance for unstructured, open-ended play and the time and space to explore. The time spent playing dress-ups and performing puppet plays helps your child learn to solve problems through creative thinking.

Your child will be more likely to delve into the world of creativity and imagination if limits are placed on time spent in front of a television or computer.

Ideas to encourage imaginative and creative play

You can enhance your child's imagination and creativity through play by:

  • telling stories and reading books
  • keeping a craft box of paints, pencils, paste, scrap paper and other materials that your child can plunder when looking for stimulation
  • word games, including silly rhymes and riddles
  • building cubby houses with cardboard boxes or other household odds and ends, or setting up ‘secret’ clubs
  • listening to music together
  • playing dress-ups
  • playing with musical instruments or listening to music
  • watching fantasy movies for kids
  • providing lots of new experiences, such as trips to the zoo and museum, visits to friends, and walks along the beach.

All children develop at their own pace. If you're concerned about any aspect of your child's development, it is a good idea to visit a health professional.

 
 
 
 
  • Last reviewed11-05-2006
  • References

    Child and Youth Health South Australia (1996). Practical parenting 1-5 years. Melbourne: ACER.

    Rubin, K.H., Bukowski, W., & Parker, J.G. (1998). Peer interactions, relationships and groups. In W. Damon & N. Eisenberg (eds), Handbook of child psychology, vol 3: Social, emotional and personality development (5th ed). New York: Wiley & Sons.
     
    Thomson, R.A. (1998). Early sociopersonality development. In W. Damon & N. Eisenberg (eds), Handbook of child psychology, vol 3: Social, emotional and personality development (5th ed). New York: Wiley & Sons.