ABSTRACT
Through imagination a child can make things as he would like them to be. Thus, imagination is an important source of pleasure in childhood, and the value of pleasant pastimes spent in using imagination is never outgrown. The child, of course, uses imagination in other ways, for it helps him to explain and understand the realities of the world. The very young child has considerable difficulty in understanding reality, since reality involves attainment of definite concepts of time, space, relationships, skills, or methods. It is particularly important in a technological society such as ours that the imagination of children is not stifled to the point that creativity is impaired. It is possible that teaching modes of thinking related to specifically perceived realities will interfere with children's freedom to use imagination to achieve a better way of life. Emotion often accompanies imaginary experience, and in reading a story or seeing a play, identification with characters often brings a range of emotion.
