According to Kris Kringle in the movie, Miracle on 34th Street, the imagination is a “nation” that you visit. Want to make that trip with your kids?

        The first thing your child needs to do is learn to pretend. This comes naturally for most children, but that doesn't mean it can't or shouldn't be cultivated. In Miracle, little Suzie, played by Natalie Wood, doesn't want to join other children in her apartment building who are playing zoo and want her to be a monkey. Kris Kringle (played by Edmund Gwenn) teaches her how to act like a monkey.

        Pretend play is a vital part of learning, according to an article in Parenting magazine. It allows kids to explore and make sense of their world, confront problems and find solutions, express feelings they aren't able to articulate in their non-pretending lives and build skills they'll need in adulthood, such as making and maintaining friendships.

        Respect, respond to and participate in your child's flights of fancy and his or her imagination will soar.

        Other avenues for the imagination are fantasies and invention.

        These can take the form of your child pretending a doll is a real baby or making a spoon serve for a phone.

        Your child may also tell some very tall tales. These are not to be confused with lying, so don't correct her. You may want to write down the words of her stories, then encourage her later to illustrate them. And make up your own tall tales, as well, letting your child contribute.

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