| Imagination is more important than knowledge. This is | | | | expand on these stories with twists and turns you |
| what the great Albert Einstein had to say about | | | | could not have dreamt of in your adult daydreams. |
| imagination, which you can take to heart even when | | | | Animal Care |
| you do not take too much stock in bushy hair and | | | | If your child exhibits a love for animals, you can nurture |
| mustache. | | | | it through a rocking horse toy. You might be of the |
| That said, you can rock your child's imagination to | | | | opinion that pets are temporarily not allowed in the |
| greater heights and wider horizons with a rocking | | | | house for various reasons - family members have |
| horse toy. Here is how. | | | | allergies, space is small with no room for pets, busy |
| Pretend Play | | | | lifestyles, financial considerations - but you certainly |
| Young children learn by imagining and doing, often with | | | | should not begrudge your child the benefit of a pretend |
| pretend play toys like a rocking horse toy. Your child | | | | pet! |
| can be anything he wants to be atop his own horse - | | | | With a pretend pet like the rocking horse, your child |
| travel to the ends of the Earth and beyond on his | | | | can pretend to take care of it. You can teach him |
| magical horse, rescue hapless fairy tale creatures on | | | | groom it, put it to stable, feed it, and calm it down. |
| his white unicorn, fly the skies ala Harry Potter on his | | | | Indeed, you just never know if you have a future |
| own thestral, ride it to the sunset after a hard day's | | | | equestrian! Plus, you nurture his imagination. |
| work as a cowboy. | | | | Security Blanket |
| For your part, you can talk to your child about his | | | | Your child's security blanket need not be a blanket. Not |
| pretend play games while he is riding his rocking horse | | | | at all! It can be anything from a cuddly teddy bear, to |
| toy. You have to encourage his wild and wacky | | | | an heirloom quilt, to a ratty old shirt of yours - just so |
| imagination and avoid bringing him down to earth with | | | | long as it gives him a sense of security. Don't worry |
| derogatory comments like "That's not possible" or | | | | either because most children outgrow the need for it. |
| "That's not real". | | | | With the rocking horse toy, the two of you can form |
| Storytelling Sessions | | | | attachments that go beyond him riding on it and you |
| You have read to your child bedtime stories while you | | | | reading stories to him. In a way, you are establishing a |
| are both cuddling in bed; you do it all the time as part | | | | sanctuary of security for him with this unique bonding |
| of your bonding activities. For a change, you can read | | | | activity. |
| children's books to him while he is riding his rocking | | | | In all these imagination activities, just remember that |
| horse toy. | | | | unlike your imagination, your child's imagination is |
| You can choose storybooks with horse characters to | | | | unfettered by adult worries and wariness. You have to |
| feed on his active imagination. This way, you tell him | | | | nurture his imagination and ingenuity while keeping your |
| stories while he acts them out! Watch how he can | | | | voice of reason and rationality within bounds. |