ABSTRACT
This chapter offers an analysis of how children envision themselves in their fantasy worlds and how they live out their wishes to act in them. The analysis enables us to answer questions such as: into what roles do children project themselves and who accompanies them, how are everyday experiences used and represented and are there patterns in the kinds of discrete activities that are imagined. In many of the make-believe worlds, children are imagining themselves as active. They allow themselves to be carried away by the atmosphere, to enjoy excitement or harmony, to feel close to one another to feel protected. They demonstrate their own specialness and independence. Some wishes to act are expressed clearly in various forms of behaviors as in the case of most of the wishes for excitement and thrill. Overall, the children in this study are in search of actions that empower them. They actively develop elements drawn from their real lives in their make-believe worlds.
