10/14/2019
The Serious Study of Imaginary Friends
Researchers say that by the age of seven, 65% of kids have an imaginary friend, and horsing around or talking with phantasms can play a crucial part of growing up. But, most children soon forget they ever had an imaginary friend. Children with friends that only they can see have rich vocabularies, are good at entertaining themselves and tend to be creative There is no indication that children with imaginary pals are prone to mental illness.
■Class discussion: Do you remember ever having an imaginary friend? Do you know of any younger children that play with characters only they can see? What do you think of kids playing with imaginary characters? What sparks your imagination the most – video games, movies, books or something else? Can you imagine your own fictional characters and plots? Have you tried to write a fictional story? When does hearing voices in your mind become a problem?