"I'm going to fly way high up into the air, and here's my map and I'm going to pick up Finlay and then I'm going to turn around and go back up Grove Street and pick you up at your house and then...." The Polar Bear boy stretched out his arms and moved through the room holding his airplane, newly made from recycled materials. His friend followed him gleefully as they imagined the entire scenario and added to it with joy.
"But you can't, it's impossible. That's only cardboard! You can't fly. It will never fly. It's not real!!" said the other friend following them around the room.
As the two friends flew in their imaginations, the third friend continued to lament: "But you can't. It's not real. Its toilet paper tubes and corks and tape. It can't fly." All the while the other two boys zoomed in circles, laughing and adding new ideas to their plans.
The voice of the boy who did not believe grew louder. He was clearly unhappy and somewhat perplexed. I had them sit down together and we talked about imaginations. "In their imagination they are flying. The plane can do all the things that they think about: go fast, pick up friends, and travel to wonderful places. You have a different idea. In your mind, this is not real. They can't really do what they are saying." The boy nodded in agreement. "It's not real."
"Not real but, in their imaginations it's as if it is real."
"I don't get it, I just don't get it," cried the 5 year old.
"They are playing, playing in their imaginations," I offered. "It's not really real but to them, it seems as if it is. You know they can't really fly."
"See, he shouted, "She said it's not real."
"But, if they wanted to make it real, not just have it in their imaginations, they could think about and plan what they could do to make it real. Everything that people invented started in someone's imagination. It was someone's idea but not yet real," I offered. "Right now they are playing - having fun with the plane in their imaginations. Get it?" I asked, using his words.
"No, he said with great heaviness, "I just don't get it, Elyse."
But, within moments he joined them in their play and was picked up at his house to accompany them on the flight through their mutual imaginations.
By Elyse Jacobs
"But you can't, it's impossible. That's only cardboard! You can't fly. It will never fly. It's not real!!" said the other friend following them around the room.
As the two friends flew in their imaginations, the third friend continued to lament: "But you can't. It's not real. Its toilet paper tubes and corks and tape. It can't fly." All the while the other two boys zoomed in circles, laughing and adding new ideas to their plans.
The voice of the boy who did not believe grew louder. He was clearly unhappy and somewhat perplexed. I had them sit down together and we talked about imaginations. "In their imagination they are flying. The plane can do all the things that they think about: go fast, pick up friends, and travel to wonderful places. You have a different idea. In your mind, this is not real. They can't really do what they are saying." The boy nodded in agreement. "It's not real."
"Not real but, in their imaginations it's as if it is real."
"I don't get it, I just don't get it," cried the 5 year old.
"They are playing, playing in their imaginations," I offered. "It's not really real but to them, it seems as if it is. You know they can't really fly."
"See, he shouted, "She said it's not real."
"But, if they wanted to make it real, not just have it in their imaginations, they could think about and plan what they could do to make it real. Everything that people invented started in someone's imagination. It was someone's idea but not yet real," I offered. "Right now they are playing - having fun with the plane in their imaginations. Get it?" I asked, using his words.
"No, he said with great heaviness, "I just don't get it, Elyse."
But, within moments he joined them in their play and was picked up at his house to accompany them on the flight through their mutual imaginations.
By Elyse Jacobs
Post a Comment