Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/getting-along-with-imaginary-friends/5014851/
In the rush to attain pre-academic skills, the development and nurturing of a child's imagination can easily be overlooked. Imagination plays a key role in the ability to think creatively and adapt to different situations. Flexible and creative thinking enables children to look for new and innovative solutions to problems - to think outside the square. These skills have an important impact on a child's potential for achievement and later success in school, work, and life.Imaginative play can be fostered through many facets of the early childhood program, including: sensory play; experimental play; creative play; expressive play; and dramatic or pretend play. Pretend play is perhaps the most visible manifestation of imagination, as young children experiment with their emerging social skills through role-playing.
Imaginary friends are an extension of pretend play. Many children develop imaginary playmates as they begin to form their own identities and to test the boundaries between fantasy and reality. Imaginary friends may be invisible, created solely in the mind of the child. They usually have specific details such as name, gender, and personality. They may also have a back story or history, which is often added
to as the child encounters new experiences.
Invisible friends do not often ...