Children love to use their imaginations, especially between the ages of 3 and 7. It is the ideal time to let their imaginations run wild!
How can you encourage them to use their imaginations effectively?
1. Chose a great book - Look for books that have a strong narrative with a clear beginning, middle and end. Children also love stories with rhythm, repetitive patterns and rhymes.
A good example of this is the Gingerbread Man
2. Talk to your child during the story - as you read the story, ask your child questions about the narrative, the characters and the pictures in the book. Try to use open questions such as "why do think he did that?" or "where do you think he is going?" as it encourages discussion
3. Draw and paint - good stories will fill your little ones head with images. Ask them to draw or paint their favourite part and then talk about it with them.
4. Food and drink - All good children's books have a theme. If there is food involved, let them eat the food that is described in the story. The very hungry caterpillar is a great book for trying new foods.
5. Costumes - Allow your children to dress up to suit the theme story. Simple things such as a colour works well with children... their imagination will do the rest!
Happy reading!
