Did you know that imagination is not just for children? Were you aware that you use your imagination many times per day? Imagination is more than just fantasy play.

Imagination is what we grownups use to brainstorm solutions, visualize scenarios, consider possible outcomes, picture what someone is telling us, and comprehend events. When Joe tells his coworker Samantha about an interesting date he had the night before, Samantha automatically uses her imagination to picture the entertaining events Joe describes.

Is it any wonder, therefore, that children need to develop their imaginations? They do this through a variety of learning activities. Reading is one of the best ways to accomplish this.

Today’s entertainment for children is far different from what it used to be, in generations passed. The radio has been replaced with high-definition TV. The book has been replaced with electronic devices in various forms. These high-tech items don’t leave much room for a child’s imagination, if any.

Experts recommend reading to your child at least 20 minutes every day. This not only helps develop a love of reading and of learning, in your child, but encourages the use and expansion of the imagination. Every page encourages the child to visualize the book coming to life. Consider reading to your child every day as an important part of your parenting schedule.