The Fine Art of Daydreaming
Many adults think a child’s mind and body should be continually busy. They believe that only when kids are doing something are they really learning.
But a tendency to over schedule can actually be counterproductive to the learning process. It doesn’t allow a child time to be inventive or reflective. Just as young children need periods of time for creative play, they also need time to daydream .
Daydreaming is a magical experience —-anything can happen and all things are possible. The relaxed state that occurs during a daydream allows the brain to filter out distractions at the moment and go into the creative surge of imagination and reality. Like the blending of paint, the how’s, why’s and what if’s of the day dream swirl together, forming a pallet of colorful ideas.
Many a great idea begins as a daydream. Orville Wright dreamed of flying. Alexander Bell dreamed of an invention to communicate over long distances.. Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of freedom. Each held onto a dream, continued to question, and work to make it come true.
We can help children find ways to explore their daydreams by giving them the tools to help bring the ideas into the real world. Give them time to ponder. Help them collect facts and gather methods. Help them evaluate the results. Provide opportunities to try again. Above all, we must value the questions and believe in the possibilities .
Today we read a book about a girl called Grace .
The title of the book is “Amazing Grace.” The book is about a little girl that loved to live out the stories that she read. At the end of the book I told the children that they could be anything they wanted to be and to close their eyes and daydream for a minute. When they opened them I asked them what they wanted to be more than anything when they grow up . Most of the answers were imaginary or animals like a unicorn, a shark, or a “flyer.” There were a couple answers like ballerina or police officer . One answer was the one I gave all my life and that was “to be a mom.” I did become a mom and I think I’m a. pretty dad gum good one. I’ve been became a grandma which was even better. And now every year I am mom/grandma to every little when they walk through my door. Daydreams do come true. ❤️