The Creation of Imaginary Worlds: The Role of Art, Magic and Dreams in Child Development

Alongside the world of everyday reality, the young child develops an imaginary world of child art, make-believe play, daydreams, imaginary friends, fairy tales and magic. This book charts the imaginative development of children, conveying the importance of art-making, pretense play and fantasy in early childhood years, and highlighting the potential that imaginative behaviors hold for cognitive, affective and aesthethic development. Divided into three parts, the book begins by examining the development of child art and how children express themselves through art. Part two looks at make-believe play and suggests ways that these methods of play can be utilized effectively in play therapy. Finally, the author explores children's perceptions of fantasy and fiction as expressed in dreams, story-telling and magic. The Creation of Imaginary Worlds demonstrates that through an awareness of the influence imaginary worlds have on children's lives adults can help foster creativity and gain a valuable insight into children's emotional well-being. This enlightening book will be of interest to students of child development, art therapists, play therapists, counsellors and child psychologists, as well as parents, teachers and anyone else who wishes to gain a better understanding of childhood imagination.