Build An Imagination - Allow Time for Experiences that Lead to Thoughts

Learn how to make a photo collage in Hearts and Trees new digital magazine.

Writing is more than words on paper. Where does great writing come from and how do we encourage it in our children? Charlotte Mason gives us a clue....

"They must be left to themselves for a good part of the day to take in their own impressions of nature's beauty. There's nothing worse than children being deprived of every moment to wonder and dream within their own minds because teachers and adults are constantly talking at them, not leaving them a moment's peace. Yet, the mother must not miss this opportunity of being outdoors to train the children to have seeing eyes, hearing ears and seeds of truth deposited into their minds to grow and blossom on their own in the secret chambers of their imaginations." Charlotte Mason, volume one page 45

There needs to be time given to experience things to write about. Writing, especially imaginative writing, does not come easily to many children (or adults). It takes much effort and energy....that spark of energy comes from opportunities to experience, to process, and then to share.

When our children have something to write about, they will write.

Sometimes the words are those from their real-life experiences, sometimes from living ideas they have read about, and sometimes from their imagination. The imagination is fueled by allowing time for our children to have experiences.

The word imagination means "to face"—to visualize an image, to almost make the thought concrete from within. The Parents' Review (edited by Charlotte Mason) on Imagination.

Start with the experiences....

• Reading a variety of authors about a variety of topics 
• Spending time outdoors exploring their own backyards 
• Viewing great artwork and listening to great composers 
• Traveling and experiencing new things near and far 
• Allowing time to think about their experiences 

The up-coming edition of the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival is all about imagination. Please click over and read more entries from other homeschooling families around the globe.

You may be interested in reading my post: Secret Chambers of Their Imaginations.

I found the following information from GreenHeartsInc.Org to be interesting:

• Kids' free time dropped by 38% between 1979 and 1999.
• Unstructured outdoor play amounts to only 30 minutes per week or about 4 minutes per day. Yet American 2 year olds average 2.6 hours of television per day. 
• School children who use playgrounds with trees, fields, shrubs, and vegetated edges show more creative play, better concentration, and more inter-gender play than those with equipment focused playgrounds. 

I recommend that you pop over to GreenHeartsInc.Org and download their Parent's Guide to Nature Play which is loaded with great ideas for you to implement in your own backyard.