I had a rain shower thought the other day. It was about how to best inspire girls imaginations so that they can one day inspire others. After all, they are the next generation of women. Of course, it is a question that started off way too big to fully wrap my head around, which is why I stayed on that thought and kept whittling it down until I was left with just two words: child’s imagination.
Imagination has been at the heart of all change. It has allowed those women we aspire to be like the women who they are. It is also a word that reverberates through a child like no other because it bubbles and fizzes with endless possibility.
All parents know how important it is to foster a child’s imagination, but actually doing so is another matter. It’s not only parents either; schools have this problem too. It could be because the word imagination is often confused with creativity, and that is often confused for people who are artists and writers and sculptors. But creativity is also a key skill of successful CEOs and politicians because the power of imagination gives us the power to solve problems.
The question is, how can we give our daughters this power? Well, here are the three most important areas to focus on to inspire your girls imagination.
Inspire Girls Imaginations with the Power of Story
Storytelling is the foundation of all imaginative thinking.
Reading a story is a fantastic way to capture a child’s imagination to inspire them. Kids’ books like Katie Pope’s The Boy and the Bear Take Mars are getting youngsters excited about space and science.
And you can take this idea even further by actively involving your daughter. As research by https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/ shows us, storytelling has many benefits, from improving memory to teaching language skills.
With all of this in mind, take a bag with you on your next walk and collect 12 different items, anything, then have your child come up with a story about them when you get home that uses the items you found in nature. Why? To inspire girls imaginations, starting with your own daughter.
Or you could do a similar thing in a museum. Ask your child to make up a story about what she sees around her. The way their mind creates will blow your mind completely.
The Power Of Nature in Imagination
Get your daughter to interact with nature. It’s one of the most inherent ways of to inspire girls imaginations. Using research done on nature-based playgrounds, http://pdplay.com/ found how well natural objects stimulate a child’s imaginations.
It isn’t only a playground though. Simply playing with natural objects works wonders too. Wooden building blocks, sand pits, gardens, and other open-ended things encourage a child to see endless possibilities.
The Power Of Them
While it can be hard to do so in this electronically-obsessed day and age, parents ought to encourage as much inner imagination as possible. Sure, television is interesting, but it feeds your daughter an image. To help inspire girls imaginations, encourage an inner space whereby they can create their own image or vision. You want to encourage them to be a creator and not a consumer.
Basically, the digital age could be killing creativity. To combat this, get them outside. Let them make up their own names for the planets in the solar system. Or let them paint with everyday items like potato halves, rather than traditional paintbrushes. Maybe you invest in some puppets, or even make puppets together. The more you encourage them to create, the more they will use their imagination.
What are some other ways to inspire girls imaginations?
Wonderfully inspiring post, Christy! 😀 I recall one snowy winter when my son was young. Once back inside from sledging we were discussing snowflakes and how each one is unique, when we came up with the idea of creating a snowflake museum! For months our creations were up on the walls for all to see, and even to this day one remains. Imagination is a most amazing gift and it can take us anywhere…our lives would be so empty without it! A terrific post and timely reminder in our digital age of the importance of imagination! 😀❤️
Annika, I love the idea of the snowflake museum! YES, that’s a creative project that excited your family and encouraged your son’s imagination ♥ I am smiling :)
Great post, Christy! You’ve got me thinking about how I can inspire creativity with my boys. I plan on getting them out in nature a lot this summer. I’m hoping they’ll develop a love for it just like I have. Fingers crossed. <3 <3
Ohhhh I love that you’re going to take these tips as inspiration for your boys ♥ Maybe that can be a blog post over the summer for you! Hugs
Love this post, Christy!!!! Thank you for shedding light and bringing awareness to the importance of fostering imagination and creativity in the next generation of women!
Ohhhhh :) Great to have your thumbs up here!!
Sage advice my friend. Wonderful post. <3
Debby! Thanks for your visits ♥ I wish you a marvelous weekend!
You too Christy <3
I hope your writing inspire a really huge population.
I found it interesting that you pointed out imagination and creativity are not the same. You know what… I have to agree with you. Imagination is something we visualise, try to see something that is not happening right in front of our eyes or has never happened before. With creativity, I reckon you can interpret it as imagining to a different, deeper or higher level – where you think of different scenarios and apply these scenario to the real world to tell a story and doing as you so rightly put :)
I think it’s important to allow kids and really all of us time to play. That is, to be carefree and have fun. It’s then we can imagine and create as freely as we want, and be our own person with confidence :)
You’re the first person to have noted the distinction between imagination and creativity that was noted in the post ~ Your attention to detail is great, Mabel! I love that you really understood the post and its message. Thank you :)
Wise and sensible suggestions.
((Hugs))
The older generation (I am one) too often try to give the results of experience rather than the experience itself. It results in “do this” and “don’t do that”. Perhaps we feel too vulnerable to share the experiences that resulted in our attitudes.
Perhaps we should just tell the story and the effect upon ourselves, but not the idea that everyone should be effected the same way. The latter would assume that everyone had the same building blocks of earlier formative experience and that the young cannot do better.
Wonderful musings here, Graham! I think sharing and inviting in experiences is a powerful way to illustrate lessons ♥
Great post. You’re right – the only way to instigate change is to imagine it first, and I agree that creativity and stories are key to that. Really inspiring post. wish you the best – speak766
Creativity is so important! Thanks for adding to the dialogue here :)
Thx yes, really, hope you are also living well. Michael
I am doing well too, thanks :) Sunshine here!
Oh, thats wonderful.
Best wishes for the weekend. ;-) Michael
Awww! Happy weekend to you too Michael :)
Thank you very much. ;.)
These are perrfect ideas for mini-retreat/workshops for moms and daughters of any age.
I’m not kidding either – my daughters sent my mother and I to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. for a week-long trip vacation.
We (my mom and I) were able to jump-start our imaginarion again by incorporating many of these ideas into our little adventure. We returned inspired and brimming with ideas. Plus I learned why others enjoy my mom’s company – she’s kinda of exciting! (who knew) lol.
Your insight is 20-20 with laser precision! What we give to our daughters; we give to the world.
Oh your trip sounds like it was fantastic! You traveled physically but also in your minds – and such a bond you and your mom must have formed too during your time away from home :) GREAT!
A wonderful post, Christy. Your points are spot on. I am happy to say my daughter-in-law has practiced all of your points with my granddaughter before she could even talk.
Oh wow, that’s wonderful hear and may your granddaughter continue to enjoy the power of the imagination! :)
I only wish I had her imagination. :-)
Sending love your way.. right now <3 !!
And right back to you, dear Christy. <3
I feel the love xx Thanks sweetie
This post is absolutely incredible. Im sharing it on my social media. You are awesome. I came to know about your blog after coming across a post of yours in Shehanne Moore’s blog. And Im absolutely loving it ♡
So nice you found me through Shey’s blog. I adore her! I’ve read some of your posts and am so pleased to connect with you :) Thanks for the enthusiastic words here!
Much love to you Christy ♡ and yes I love the name of your blog and also the tagline. Have a great weekend Dear ♡
Ohhhh ♥ Happy weekend to you too!!
♡♡
This is a brilliant post! I really love your suggestions!
1. The power of story
2. The power of nature
3. The power of them
Thank you!
Thank you dear friend for your support! I like your posts too :) :)
Well said … I mean “written”…. You make some good points about how imaginationa nd creativity are linked…. I like your disgression as to the Digital age: On point!… There are so many possibilities, even in this digital Era. Again: I firmly believe that when Internet/our computer become Numb Boxes, it is because of our bad choices. Internet could be considered as a empowering tool of knowledge… and creativity too … And both are powerful things. ;) Sending love! <3
It’s all in how we look at things, right? I like how you look at the Internet as empowering us, provided we use it for that purpose. Thanks Aqui ♥ You shining star you!
A wonderful post Christy and so true. May we all take something away from you here, you inspiring lady you xxxxxxx
You are an amazing light, Shey xx Thank you
I’m so inspired to go home and inspire my daughter. I can tell she has a great imagination I haven’t been tapping into often enough!
Ohhhhh! I look forward to what’s to come from the wonder of her imagination!
Beautiful, Christy. The longer I’m around, the more I’m convinced that imagination, love, creativity, knowledge, and compassion are the true keys to a wonderful life.
You are so wise to have written this comment, G. I wish I could hug you right now!
Another good post, Christy. I get my little neighbor outside as much as I can, we love our get-togethers. Glad to know it might be empowering her imagination!
Oh so sweet about your outings together! :)
Inspirational mentoring, Christy. Mega hugs.
Teagan ♥
You are awesome!