Imaginative Play
It is hard to imagine a discussion of the imagination without addressing early childhood, the period of life when it is revealed so explicitly through play. The importance of imaginative play has long been broadly claimed by a wide range of psychologists to have great importance for children’s intellectual, social and emotional development. Furthermore, many writers strongly believe that imaginative play in childhood is a key to later creativity in life. But there are so many questions that have not been resolved through research. It has been observed that the degree of imaginative play varies greatly between individual children and in this brief session we will consider two contextual issues that concern many parents and educators at this moment in time: what should be the roles of adults in children’s play and what environments, toys and tools should be made available to children. These issues have become of great concern to parents as there have been dramatic changes in just one generation in how much time children spend in settings that are directed, or at least supervised, by adults and how many commercial materials are now aimed at children. As we attempt to reflect critically on these ideas, romantic notions of childhood and our own nostalgia will probably be deeply implicated in the exchange.
References:
Bruner, J.S.Jolly, A. and Sylva, K. (Eds.). (1976). Play: Its role in development and evolution. New York: Penguin.
Chudacoff, H. P. (2007). Children at play: an American history. New York, New York University Press.
Huizinga, J. (1955). Homo Ludens: A study of the play element in culture. Boston, Beacon Press.
