ABSTRACT
The worlds imagined by children create a framework or context in which they can act out their fantasies. This chapter highlights the common aspects of the worlds of present-day children, the nine types of worlds and the features that characterize them. Accordingly, the following is a presentation of the fantasy settings the children imagined and to which they related, with examples given to illustrate the patterns. In analyzing the kinds of worlds the children imagined, it is evident that they brought information from a wide range of sources whether from formal or informal information, mediated or nonmediated sources. They mix and match the pieces and interweave them according to their own individual desires and dreams, in ways that produce deeply compelling and often detailed worlds for playing out their fantasies. For the sake of analysis, we have separated the description of the worlds from the actual activities enacted and desires expressed in the worlds.
