Mom to 7 year old superhero, Loralai
When my daughter puts on her ensemble from Creative Capes, she is transformed. Not just by the empowering feeling of being a superhero who can do anything, but she allows her imagination to take over and she really takes that can-do-anything to heart and I know that all of this is much much more than just simple child’s play.
Using the imagination is an important part of psychological and physical development for children who eventually become adults that can creatively problem solve. Being able to imagine different endings to situations allows us, as adults, to think through scenarios and decided what is best for our desired outcomes. This is a learned process. If as a child, you grew up only understanding the here and now, there would be no way to understand the different ways the future could be changed and would be hard pressed to cope if a different situation arose than the one they are accustomed to. Developing and using the imagination as child is critical to developing these skills and being a successful adult.
As for physical development, children learn through activity, developing their senses, motor skills and even communication through movement and these all relate to brain development as well. Imaginative play gets children moving and exploring the world around them.
Our children live in a time when screens are more accessible than ever, but those screens are more of a one way street. They present information and here and there they can make choices about where to go in a video game, etc. but screens (and video games) present a very limited way to use imagination that does not help to produce the same developmental physical and neurological results.
British education expert Sir Ken Robinson explains that one of the ways adults can help a child develop an imagination is through the use of various props that “fuel fantasy and motivate them (children) to create their own story.” [See source.] Creative Capes are wonderful props to jump start the imagination. One day my daughter can be a superhero, fighting off the bad guys. The next day she is a regal queen forging peace between her stuffed animals. There is really no limit to who she can be or where she can go, but the cape empowers her to just open her mind and dive into a new adventure.