ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the imagination, that is, the child’s world of fantasy. Developing imagination is vital for the growing child in that it shows a mind that is expanding and elaborating, making distinctions and is therefore becoming enriched. The capacity for imagination shows itself in the child’s play, and in his creativity i.e. daydreams, the very things he makes, the stories he constructs. Parents may become concerned that a child is too caught up in the world of his imagination. Some nursery age children may turn to their own resources to deal with their anxieties about new situations. Imagination may provide the stimulus to discovering such resources. The nursery age child frequently works on his predominant everyday conflicts by turning to the world of his imagination. The world of imagination can also be turned to for social needs. Some children conjure up pretend friends who can be very important.
