Latest / 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids. / The Importance of Imaginative Play in Building Courage and Confidence w/ Ashley Wall

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The Importance of Imaginative Play in Building Courage and Confidence w/ Ashley Wall · 5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids.

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to another episode of the Five Minute Parenting Podcast.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Karen Ferguson, wife, mom, grandmom, and children's book author with a background in K-8 education and a passion for equipping parents to raise confident and God-confident kids.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_01: In this podcast, we'll cover parenting practices for both a practical view and a biblical view.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_01: Our goal is to help you raise kids with a positive, godly self-image so they can become all they were created to be.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: I know you're busy, so we'll keep it short.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_01: Let's take just five minutes and dive in.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome back to another episode of Five Minute Parenting.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Karen, your show host, and I'm super excited for today's show because we're talking about imaginative play to help build confidence and courage in children with special guest Ashley Wall.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_01: Ashley is a Texas native, former teacher, and award-winning children's author with a passion for inspiring young minds.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_01: She holds a master's degree in curriculum and instruction and a bachelor's of science degree in education, with over a decade of experience in the education field, where she has developed a deep understanding of the transformative power of storytelling.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: As a mother of two, she draws from her personal experiences to create stories that foster children's love for reading, nurtures their imaginations, and promotes kindness and friendship.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: Ashley's books are designed to captivate young readers while encouraging important values like empathy, generosity, and the importance of community.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: Ashley, welcome to the show.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for having me.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'm excited.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, me too.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so grateful that we connected.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_01: And I had the pleasure of reading some of your books.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_01: They're adorable.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: So I just want to say up front listeners, visit Ashley's website and add her books to your kids' library.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_01: We will have links for that in the show notes.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: So be sure to check that out.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_01: But Ashley, I'm excited for this topic about imaginative play.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm going to jump right in with some questions for you.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: Sounds good.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: So not the first question uh why is imaginative play so crucial for building confidence and courage in young children?
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, it is so important.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: It is when kids get to explore.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we're always telling them, put on your shoes, sit down to eat, do this, do that.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: And when they're imagin using their imaginations and doing imaginative play, they're in charge and they get to decide what they're doing and who they are and what they want to be.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, if they're doing it independently or with others, you know, they really get to explore and test their limitations and they can be as brave and as strong and courageous and they can be anything they want.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: They're an astronaut or even a monkey, you know, like they can be anything.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: And it just helps them build their confidence and their competence.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: Like, hey, I'm imagining myself doing this.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: And now I really feel that way that I can do it.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I taught middle school math, and it even would go for them.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's not just a little kid thing.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: And even um, when I am, you know, working with other authors and adults, use your imagination.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: Where do you see yourself?
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: Where do you want to go?
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: You know, get into your mind, get into your creativity, get into your imagination, and it builds confidence for all of us, you know, like build yourself up by imagining and visualizing and and and exploring all these different avenues.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_01: I like that.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's a gift from God, isn't it?
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_01: You know, our imagination.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: It is, and it's something that's not used enough, you know.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Like we have these huge imaginations and we need to be able to use them.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_01: Well, can you share a real life example where you've seen imaginative play help a child grow in confidence or overcome a fear?
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, so much.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: So, so much.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, my son went through a hitting phase and we did a lot of imaginative play, a lot of role play.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: Well, what if we did this?
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: What if that this happens and and we would practice different scenarios and okay, what if a friend's doing this?
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: And he would practice and imagine helping others and he's the hero and different things like that.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_00: And my daughter has a little bit of anxiety on, you know, going to the doctor or different, different new experiences.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: So we would imagine, okay, well, you know, what would we do if this happens?
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: Or, well, what if we walk in and let's be unicorns instead, or let's look, you know, so you're you're taking them out of the serious component of it and making it just a little bit more fun, a little bit more on their level.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then building their confidence, like, oh, I can do this.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: I practice this.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: You know, this isn't all that new.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: I have strategies and tool belts.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_00: Just as parents, we need tool belts for everything that we do, right?
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: Because you know, one day one thing works and the next thing another.
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  SPEAKER_00: So you've got to have a whole bunch of tools.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and this is the same for kids, you know, they need to be able to practice these things.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: Well, and it's almost like preparing them, helping to prepare them for new circumstances or situations.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Totally.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_01: And almost like a problem solving in a way, uh, tactic is what I'm hearing.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: So that's cool.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_01: Well, how does this theme show up in your latest book, The Day I Had a Firetruck?
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: And then you have a series that's called The Day I Had series.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: So, how does this theme show up there?
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's it's really just kind of the whole thing.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: When I first got the idea for the series, I was like, how cool if these kids had their toys come to life and they're in charge and they're empowered to work together and show inclusion and be kind and um help others in their community.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what would they do?
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: And how could they use these big, big adventures and these big imaginations to help others and to see themselves?
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  SPEAKER_00: You know, my next one is the day I had a spaceship.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: So now they're astronauts, and so they get to be the ones in charge and to make the choices and they can see themselves doing these big, great things, you know, especially with kids are so little and the world is so big.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, and again, like I mentioned, we're always telling them what to do, but they get to see themselves in a bigger light.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and it really helps to just motivate and empower them to think big and use their imaginations.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: And how many books are in the series so far?
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, the day out of fire truck, which launched in March, is the third, and then the fourth one will be out in the fall.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: Because I know people can't see right now.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: We're audio only, but I see all your books in the background.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_01: You have a lot of books.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_01: I love them.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: Some of some are our other authors.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: We we brought on other authors and they're doing incredible work as well.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: Well, how does faith play a role in how you view imaginative play and its impact on emotional development?
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that's so fun.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: I I about a year ago I started teaching Sunday school uh at my church, and my kids have come to help.
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  SPEAKER_00: So now they're little leaders, and we do a lot of imaginative play with our stories.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: And um, you know, you know, we're it we're in the boat, and Jesus coming here in the boat with us.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_00: And how does that make you feel?
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: And what how would you feel if you saw that this and you know, Jesus calms the water and and how would you feel?
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: And so kids can relate and you know, that uh faith in Jesus and God and all it's a big concept for kids, but when they're able to imagine and and and think about it in a way that relates to them, it's really helpful.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: And then so I see my kids, you know, Sunday school's over, or you know, our Bible stories over, but then they're bringing it into their daily lives as well.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, remember when this happened, or or how did you feel when this happened?
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: And they're bringing in um these experiences and these stories that they were able to feel more a part of.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and it I think it helps them understand it a little bit better.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: And my kids are four and six, by the way.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: So they are still, you know, very young.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: And that it helps them to just be able to understand things better.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, that makes sense.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_01: Well, Ashley, before we close, I want to highlight your website, Mama Bear Books.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_01: And then also I know that you offer free resources for parents and readers.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_01: So tell us more about that.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, with my education background, um, I always want fun ways, you know, to connect books, reading books or even just kids looking at the books themselves is so important for their development.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but they're just having fun resources to go with it, you know, coloring pages, some uh letter writing, some color matching.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: It's just it's just different, real free printables um that parents can utilize with the books.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, well, we will have links to that in the show notes.
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  SPEAKER_01: So, listeners, be sure to check that out.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_01: And Ashley, thank you so much for joining us.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_01: This has been a real treat.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's great to connect with you.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: And listeners, thank you for joining us.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_01: Be sure to check those show notes for links to Ashley's website and to those free resources on there, as well as links to her books.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: And until next time, have a blessed week.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: Are you looking for creative, biblically based books for that special child in your life?
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_01: Would you like to inspire in your child a love for reading and a love for God's word?
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: Check out Questions for Kids, a picture book series your whole family can enjoy.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_01: You'll follow the adventures of Lucy and her Papa Joe as they journey into the Bible to discover unique periods of Bible history, getting answers to life's important questions, learning all about God's never-changing, never-failing, and never-ending love.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_01: Each book encounters the cultural narrative by diving into the Bible to explore the people, places, and events that will help shape a strong faith in God.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: With these delightfully illustrated books, you'll help build your child's biblical literacy.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_01: One bold, beautiful book at a time.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_01: You'll find the Questions for Kids series by Karen Ferguson on Bookshop, Amazon, at your favorite book retailer, or visit Karen's website at Karenferg.com.