Children and Playing

I don't like reading books myself, at school i was always told i wasn't a very good reader by a certain teacher in junior school..... ever since then i haven't enjoyed reading much, i prefer watching films because they are easier to understand. When i read books i forget what i've read after a few lines which has become a problem as i am a slow reader. I still read to my son because he enjoys being read to quite often. I am trying to become more into reading because then i'll be able to read to my son better although he enjoys it now. ~joeys wife

I agree whole-heartedly that children are not being encouraged to use their imaginations or think! Children are given movies, computer games, video games, and children's TV shows to entertain them. The child doesn't have to imagine anything! Children also have a plethora of toys, rather than just a few. When children had fewer toys, they had to pretend that something was something else! We really need to encourage more 'basic' toys that encourage a child to open their minds and critically think about what can be used as something else! P.S. I too, prefer books to movies!

That is really true and kids stay inside a lot more to play with their video games intesd of outside playing or inside playing.Times sure have changed that's for sure.

I think this is a big mistake. Take a look at the world around you. Everything that has ever been created has come from the imagination in the form of ideas and thougths. Even the entire universe...someone or something imagined it into existence. I think that they should teach classes in using your imagination in school. That is a good analogy about reading a book and formulating ideas based on imagination.

I agree. I always limit the amount of time my daughter is allowed to watch tv. I would rather her play in her room with her toys and use her imagination. I know as a child I always had a very vivid imagination. Of course I was an only child until I was 12 so I kind of had to use my imagination to keep myself occupied lol. So I hope my daughter will do the same.

We should read books like fairy tales to our children aloud. Because when the children listen to the stories they imagine the characters. They have ideas of their own what these characters are like, they imagine them. We had more fun way back when. We should let them play with dolls or figures that are simple where they can imagine who the figures are and what they do.

I suppose it depends on what they are taught. If a child is taught to watch TV, play video games and what not to the exclusion of all other forms of entertainment then that is what you will get. Someone with no imagination. I always read to my children and read to my grandchildren. I also allow them to use their toys for other things then what they were origanlly meant for. Giving them a big box does wonders for the imagination. Also giving them things that they can draw with. Aqua Doodle mats are great for this. Video games and TV are in my house but children are also given things to encourage their imagination. It is surprising that although TV and video games are available they actually prefer to play game of imagination.

I'm actually both a visual person (maybe being photographer/artist) and avid reader...I don't really watch much TV but near bedtime is the only time I really have the TV on and usually to put in one of my DVD movies...but I also love to read..after I watch a bit of a movie, will snuggle in bed and read, read, read...not only am I a reader, but writer..so that really gets the imagination going full speed ahead...I love the movie Eragon for instance..but now am reading the book...and of course, it's SO much better...

imagination is what someone needs before developing this world.i do encourage people to use imaginations.but there's a point i cannot totally agree.the visual society is like the base of imaginations.where do imaginations come from?they are from what you have seen but higher than that. just think do a baby have any imaginations if he doesnt come out to see the world.so here i'd like to say that do not leave your society behind just to develop imaginations.see more of the world and try your imaginations. P.S.im not much of a reader i love to watch movies but i gained my imagination through drawing

Ofcourse we live in a world were media rules day today life much more than before. Children finds very less time to get into their regular curriculum studies, earlier we get lot of time since media was not a reached technology in many a homes, so reading hobby was cultivated in almost everyone cause that was a good means of acquiring knowledge and to develop imagination. Now ofcourse chances are there still to put in our own imagination in our way with the available exisiting modern technologies, but when viewed others form of imagination a sort of mind block is formed.

In my case I limit my son's tv watching, he only gets to watch T.V for an hour in the evening and half day during weekends, I encourage him to go outside and play, if not he does some art stuff that he enjoys, he also reads kids' magazine, these are some ways to stimulate his imagination. During summer though I let him have the freedom of doing what he wants but still with my supervision.