Monday, March 4, 2013

Imagination

I have two kids, both boys, and they have the most amazing imaginations.  Everything they see or do feeds into their imaginations and fuels their play.

For example, my older son has a video game he likes to play (are they still called video games these days???  I think I'm showing my age) on my phone.  It's one of those games where you build a civilization and go to war against other civilizations to gain the things you need to strengthen your village.

Both my kids have become quite obsessed with this game and I've had to limit the amount of time they spend on my phone or I'd never have any battery left.  But it doesn't matter because the stories they create within the game have spilled into their everyday life, and my younger one re-creates scenarios using Lego.  The older one plays at the game with his friends, pretending to be enemy armies invading.

My front yard is a war zone of half destroyed villages and barracks for training troops.  All the bricks I had piled up from where our chimney was taken down have been brought into play and most have been smashed.  I guess it's better than the house getting smashed though....

I'm happy that they're getting so much fun out of this, and that they're using their imaginations to create characters and worlds to play in, even if they were sparked by a game.  But I do wish every game didn't involve fighting....  Guess it's a boy thing.

Do your kids use media to fuel their play?  What fuels your imagination?

6 comments:

  1. My imagination is fueled by books, movies and a simple walk - whether through a city or in nature. I do tend to come up with clearer ideas for stories when I'm walking out in nature compared to a cityscape setting.

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  2. My ideas come from everywhere. I'm brainstorming for a new ms right now and I had ideas yesterday inspired from equipment at the playground and an episode of Dr. Who. For writers, anything can become a source of inspiration. :)

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  3. Oh, the age of electronic. My youngest loves minecraft and Zoo Tycoon. These are pc games too. I love the zoo one because they create a zoo and must feed the animals and keep them happy, so they're in charge of everything from food to habitat. She's learns a lot about animal habitats and like yours, uses legos during no-electronic time to create a zoo.

    Me? I read, watch, listen to people to get ideas

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  4. Here, there and everywhere. Sorry, I couldn't resist. I love looking a painting or photos to spark something. Dreams can do it. Books and movies. The list is endless. Thank goodness.:)

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  5. War games, huh? Well:
    Snips and snails and puppy-dog tails,
    That's what little boys are made of.
    lol

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  6. Sounds kind of like 'Command and Conquer' (my brother was OBSESSED with that game when he was little). But it's very cool how they're taking that premise and expanding it, making the idea their own. Bunkers and barracks in the front yard? Right on. Now just fix them some MRE's for dinner, lol.

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