Why does fantasy appeal to children

Let them read science fiction. In it, young people can see themselves—coping, surviving and learning lessons—that may enable them to create their own strategies for resilience. In this time of COVID and physical distancing, we may be reluctant for kids to embrace creative forms that seem to separate them psychologically from reality.

But the critical thinking and agile habits of mind prompted by this type of literature may actually produce resilience and creativity that everyday life and reality typically do not. This article was originally published by The Conversation.

Esther L. Jones, Ph. Her research and teaching specializations include race, gender, health and medical ethics as represented in literature, especially science fiction and fantasy.

Become a subscribing member today. Scroll To Top Young people who are hooked on watching fantasy or reading science fiction may be on to something. Literature as a moral mirror. Get the science of a meaningful education delivered to your inbox. About the Author. Christine Gockman has been a practicing child psychologist for 30 years, and Dr.

Kevin Brown is a cognitive psychologist with 35 years of experience, who now works in school psychology. KB: Those drawn to fantasy tend to be people with a more creative mind. Creativity tends to be undervalued in our society. Interestingly, many who do not necessarily have a creative mind still have a visceral need for the creativity of others through literature or music.

CG: It is largely based on personality differences. There are certain disorders which make fantasy difficult to process, but for most it is just a varying definition of fun. People who are more realistic have a difficult time enjoying non-plausible storylines. Fantasy requires a willful suspension of disbelief and many people are unwilling, or afraid, to do so. Me: This fits with my daughter.

She is drawn to math and science in school, and prefers reality based stories. KB: She wants factually, scientifically based information. These personality types tend to be more logical and realistic, whereas fantasy draw on creativity.

They are complimentary; different but both vital. If her left brain is dominant, asking her to use her right side will go against her comfort zone. If her brain is wired to seek scientific answers and mathematical solutions fantasy stories may feel stressful or silly for her.

Why do some adults hold onto their craving for fantasy worlds while others outgrow it? KB: Most adults do not get to use creativity as much as they did when they were children. For some that is just accepted, but many others still need that form of creativity in their lives. Fantasy gives an outlet for the creative part of the brain without straying too far from real life.

CG: Some adults are more imaginative and creative than others. Our world is becoming increasingly demystified and some people crave finding new mysteries to explore. So much of what adults do every day is the same old duties, same old work, so we look for something new and exciting. Unfortunately, I think many adults are too cynical. While some may be able to lap up a fantasy story, some might be just skeptical about the whole thing. In children we honor and appreciate their imagination so we work to develop these skills.

KB: It stimulates their mind to think beyond the concrete. It allows them to imagine better. Discoveries happen because of imagination. Someone imagined a flying machine, so today we have airplanes. Someone imagined an oven that could cook dinner in 2 minutes, and now we have microwaves. There have been several studies that show children retain information at higher rates when they are learned through fantasy stories and play. The children in the fantasy group could define significantly more words than the non-fiction group.

It fosters their belief in possibility. This often results in children who are hopeful and more optimistic. Children truly believe their thoughts materialize into reality. Take the movie Home Alone for example, Kevin truly believes he made his family disappear. Who or what could be making the noise?

The only way to make sense of the experience, for which there was no "certain"answer, was to fantasise: there's a pirate or a burglar, or more probably a crocodile under the bed. Children scare themselves silly like this, but while they have no knowledge of central heating pipes swelling, they have to engage with make-believe to bridge the gap between experience and knowledge. As time passes and children learn about the effect of heat on pipes and floorboard, they will often prefer the crocodile theory.

Fear, within a safe context, is fun. Children are born with the full spectrum of human emotions, wild, exciting, passionate, vigorous, totally irrational and raring to go. But they are also inexperienced and longing to explore their feelings. This is why they need to be scared and fantasy is an excellent, "safe" way to do it - going out to find real crocodiles to play with is neither practical nor safe.

Fantasy offers children a rehearsed exploration of the too big, too wide, too dangerous world that is getting closer and more real every day. But fantasy needn't just be dungeons and dragons - it can be any element of pretend. This is why as they grow, children need stories that include divorce, bereavement, war, falling in love, becoming a hero and saving the world.