“Is not nature full of magic, full of miracles ?” (Montessori, The Absorbent Mind, page 39)

Imagine entering a whole new world; new sights, new smells, tastes, sounds, experiencing new sensations and having the journey of figuring it all out including the vehicle that you entered this new world in; your body.  Everything you encounter in this new world is a first experience… no concept of anything; just a never ending voyage of wonder, excitement, challenges and opportunities!

Sounds like a fantasy yet this is the reality for humans entering a new world for the first time as a baby; a new world called earth. The journey of life is a fantasy for the child; the faculty or activity of imagining impossible or improbable things is exactly where the child is at when exploring the new world she finds herself in.

Yet what is most fantastic about this exploration is the process of discovering what is possible, impossible; probable; improbable. Some would say that this lasts a life time others that there is no such thing as impossible. For the child reality is a fantastic discovery whose exploratory possibilities are endless.

So why the need for adults to encourage make believe and fantasy in childhood if reality is that already for the child?

“Children for whom a table in play becomes a house, a chair serves as a horse, who can visualise a fairy and fairyland, have no difficulty in visualising America or the world, especially with a globe to help.” (Maria Montessori, 2019, Aakar Books, Education for a New World, p76)

 

Fantasy vs Imagination

Imagination is said to be based on reality whilst fantasy is based on imagination; exploring that which is not based in reality. Both stem from an understanding of reality through one’s perspective and thinking creatively. To argue then that fantasy encourages creativity is putting the cart before the horse.

The world of invention is all about imagination and fantasy. At one point in time mobile phones were a fantasy. An imagination based on what was far removed from the normal reality of the time.  Yet when that fantasy was further condensed into imagination it was then able to be brought into the bounds of concrete existence.

The need for children to be lied to in the form of fantasies to encourage creativity is a concept that is not necessary given the vast array of concrete experiences in life that are phenomenal in themselves to a child. What is the concrete purpose of Santa Claus, the tooth fairy or the Easter Bunny for the child’s development of self and foundational understanding of their environment other than the short lived illusionary experience of wonder and joy?

“This strength of imagination in the child under six is usually expended on toys and fairy tales, but surely we can give him real things to imagine about, so putting him in more accurate relation with his environment.” (Maria Montessori, 2019, Aakar Books, Education for a New World, p. 77)

 

Fantasy Play vs Montessori ‘Work’

When adults encourage fantasy play, with all the good intentions in the world, they could easily be supporting the child’s imagination and creativity with things of a concrete nature.  Reality provides joy and wonder to the child naturally. It provides the child with an endless amount of unanswered questions ready to be explored. The way children make sense of their world, apart from exploration through their senses, is heavily influenced by their environment and the adults whose behaviour they attempt to replicate. The child, observing everything acutely, could end up mistrusting those who have lied previously on finding out the true reality of things.  Even in cases where children themselves have imaginary friends they are very much aware that the reality is quite different in the majority of cases;

“According to Taylor et al. (1993) children are not confused about the fantasy status of their imaginary companions; they know that these companions are different from real friends.” (Woolley, Jacqueline D. “Thinking about Fantasy: Are Children Fundamentally Different Thinkers and Believers from Adults?” Child Development, vol. 68, no. 6, [Wiley, Society for Research in Child Development], 1997, pp. 995) 

Why pretend to cook when a child benefits in a variety of concrete ways learning how to cook? Why pretend to fly when exploring how birds fly or how aeroplanes fly is more relatable to the child’s own experiences?  When children watch cartoons or have heard fairy tales they will wonder if frogs can talk or if wishes come true. All these questions are opportunities for the child to understand the world they exist in further not for them to further their illusions about current realities of life.

At the young age of three and four children in a Montessori environment are introduced to the world of botany, geometry, zoology and even algebra in very hands on and practical ways so by the age of six children are able to deepen their creativity and imagination; expanding their analysis of the wonders of life in a more abstract and cerebral manner. Subjects such as astronomy, health sciences, liberal and language arts are all avenues the child is very capable and interested in exploring.

It is the approach to engaging children that also determines their ability to be creative and imaginative. Delineating the difference between what we imagine; what we fantasise and the reality of that through concrete experiences, exploration and analysis through observation of the child’s interests and the facilitation of developing skills to master such interests, we support the expansion of the child’s world, her ability to own the process and encourage the continued love and curiosity for all the fantasies the real world contains.

Did you know?

• You can buy and use a flying bike just like Elliot in ET
• Acacia trees can warn each other of imminent danger
• An extinct species of penguin was nearly seven feet tall
• The human brain is smaller in size than ten thousand years ago
• Each planet has its own song
• DNA is fireproof
• Carrots were originally purple and some still are

 

So many fantastical real life facts that humans don’t even know a tenth of… so many questions still yet to be explored; let’s support children to engage with the wonders of earth and use their creativity to make it an even more magical place to live in.

“The secret of success is found to lie in the right use of imagination in awakening interest…” (Montessori, To Educate The Human Potential, p3)