Cherished Childhood Memories & Using your Imagination

Today as I played with my daughter I was reminded of my childhood and a few of my most cherished memories come from using my imagination with my siblings. Kyle and I both agree that the toys Brielle will own must provide her with a variety of ways to develop a vivid imagination. In order to develop that imagination we know that we must steer clear from a ton of TV time and allow time for building, pretending, reading, and outside time.

My most cherished memories come from reading series like Little House on the Prairie with my mom, building Lego Towns with my siblings, building roads in the dirt for our Hot Wheel cars, playing house with the wooden refrigerator and stove top my grandpa made me, dressing up and playing "old timey" with my sisters, picking outfits and decorating the Barbie house, turning the park into a water park with buckets of water we carried from our yard to the slide, riding our bikes through the dirt bike trails over and over again... none of these memories revolve around what movie or TV show we watched on a daily basis. Our TV time was every Saturday morning when we watched Loony Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Roadrunner, and Little House on the Prairie.

I do not plan on plopping my daughter in front of the television in order to occupy her time. Even now when she's awake I get out her tub of toys and we make noises, read books, smile and coo. I'm beyond excited for each milestone and part of the joy of being a parent is to be able to PLAY AGAIN! :)

I am so excited to share in the joy of everything I did as a child with my own child....

I am so excited to be able to get out a tub of Lego's and build houses, cars, and towns.

I am so excited to "eat" the "food" my daughter prepares for me on my grandpa's homemade stove top.

I am so excited to build towers with building blocks.

I am so excited to watch her excitement grow as we turn pages in a book.

I am so excited to share in the joy of the outdoors - camping, hiking, playing in the sprinkler, going swimming, climbing, swinging....

I am so excited to open the suitcase full of play jewelry, goofy hats, and silly dresses and take pictures of the outfits she creates.

I am so excited to color, paint and create projects with her.

I am so excited to teacher her how to make cookies and enjoy the dough and cookies with milk.

I am so excited to take her to a zoo.

I am so excited to take her to a children's museum.

I am so excited to dress up and fix the hair of her little dolls.

I am so excited to teach her to ride a bike.

I am so excited to see who can swing the highest and how fast we can go down a slide.

I am so excited for tea parties.

My excitement grows as I think of all the things we're going to do!

Hopefully her imagination and excitement will grow as she develops a love for playing AND learning. So parents I challenge you, as I too take on this challenge, to provide opportunities galore where your children USE THEIR IMAGINATION! It will help them far beyond what you could possibly imagine.

How will it benefit them?

As a teacher I notice a HUGE difference between the students whose parents spent time doing things with them, or providing opportunities to use their imagination, and reading with them, etc. versus the kids who spent the majority of their childhood in front of the TV or playing video games. Take the challenge, your kids will thank you some day!

I know I thank my parents when I look back on my childhood memories....