1.
Albert Einstein said it best: "Imagination is
everything. It is the preview for life's coming
attractions." A truer statement has never been made
-- especially when t comes to children. Giving kids
the opportunity and frequency with which to explore
their creative sides is crucial, helping them develop
important social, problem-solving, troubleshooting
and communication skills they will need throughout
their entire lives. Encouraging and fostering an
atmosphere of free play and imagination is the best
gift you can give to your kids -- a gift that keeps
giving well into adulthood.

2.
Benefits of Playful Imagination
It may look like silly play: little girls imagining they are
marrying a prince in a grand castle or little boys racing their
toy cars in the Daytona 500. However, that silly play is
anything but: in fact, it's actually a critical learning
opportunity. It's this playful behavior that allows kids to
more readily learn and absorb the world around them,
boosting the growth and development of their burgeoning
brain cells, according to Parenting Science. When given
free reign at school, for example, children can better grasp
their academic lessons because they're allowed to further
explore discoveries in the world around them. Sure, gym
time is great -- kids need a controlled environment in
which to get directed exercise on a regular basis. However,
that's just what it is: controlled.

3.
They're told what to do, what the rules are, how they
should play and what the consequences are if they don't
do it right. Free time, on the other hand, such as at out
recess or in the backyard at home, puts control in THEIR
hands for a small slice of their day. They can choose to be a
butterfly or a knight or a dinosaur, making up their own
rules and interacting with others in their own way. It's this
freedom that spurs kids on to think outside the box.
Moreover, these critical thinking skills will benefit them as
they navigate through their teen and adults years. When
they find themselves on their own in college for the first
time or in a workplace environment, and experience a
conflict, what will they do? Run home and ask Mom? Or
figure it out on their own? Scientists say this is where
those days of wild imagination will kick in and provide
some tangible problem-solving benefits.

4.
Why Imagination Helps
Research shows that free play, where imaginations are
fostered, can lead to an increase in social skills, along with
language comprehension and
communication. BabyCenter says that this make-believe
play helps kids cooperate with their peers in social
situations, stay focused when they need to, control
themselves when warranted and follow the rules of their
social circle. This impulse double-check is important as
they grow older and face difficult roommates, teachers,
coworkers and bosses. There's a reason why companies
like Google and LinkedIn incorporate fun activities and
relaxation into their daily routine.

5.
They know that creativity spurs productivity, resulting in
happier employees who are free to explore their
imaginations to come up with solutions. Apply this to
children, and you will see the same benefits. Learning these
lessons rarely takes place in a sterile academic setting;
rather, imagination takes place outside structured school
time, where they are left to test out their newly learned
skills within an active social environment with peers. It is
important for youngsters to learn self-regulation that
comes about by free play, with the ability to alter their
reality for a few moments of their day.

6.
Creative Children Grow into Creative Adults
One wonders if Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie
and Alexander Graham Bell were not given the chance to
imagine at a young age, would we have those important
revelations and inventions that helped change the course
of human history? The world needs the next Bill Gates and
the next Beethoven: people who, because they thought
outside the box, made the lives of countless people better.
Creativity and innovation come from imagination, with
some of the most influential creations coming from simply
imagining a better, easier or more beautiful world, points
out the Huffington Post. Imaginative children often go on
to be scientists, inventors, artists and engineers because
they were given the freedom to grow their thoughts as
children. Just think: without creative adults, which
spawned from imaginative youngsters, we may never have
come to know the convenience of a smartphone, the all-
encompassing beauty of viewing the earth from a
spaceship, or the ability to communicate instantly at the
touch of a button on a computer.

7.
Directed play by adults like teachers and parents is
certainly a good way to augment a child's learning and
behavior, but there is a limit. The next time you think of
stepping in and controlling your child's environment, think
twice and give them time to imagine on their own for a
bit.
A trip to Chantilly’s own Kid Junction provides your child
with a wealth of opportunity to explore their most
valuable tools, their imagination and creativity. The indoor
playground provides endless opportunity for children to
learn through play, promoting important life lessons along
the way. Give your child a day he or she will never forget
with a trip to Kid Junction!