Why kids care about completely different things than grown-ups do
Adults often find themselves wondering:
- work
- planning
- time,
- and efficiency.
Children?
They can spend twenty minutes hashing out something like:
- which dinosaur reigns supreme in raw strength
- whether it's fitting for a dog to wear a cape,
- and why broccoli probably has feelings, too.
And honestly:
that's what makes talking with kids such a joy.
Children experience the world through an entirely different lens
For adults, a puddle is nothing more than water.
For children, the numbers are:
- an endless ocean,
- a treacherous river,
- or the perfect spot for a cannonball.
Children find meaning in things that adults have simply stopped noticing.
Why this matters
The mindset that fuels this:
- creativity,
- problem-solving
- and fantasy.
Kids will throw out ideas that most adults would shoot down without a second thought.
Why stories are such a natural fit there
Kids' stories don't need to stick to reality.
Even more striking:
the crazier the idea, the better it often turns out to be.
A story about:
- flying penguins
- a turtle dreaming of making it big as a rapper,
- a ghost too spooked by the dark to leave its own closet,
works perfectly for kids.
Why personal stories are more fun to tell
When kids see themselves reflected in such an offbeat world, something magical happens.
Then it feels like the adventure is truly theirs too.
That's the power of personalized stories:
Fantasy feels like it belongs to you.
Children are far more absorbed in the here and now
Adults tend to plan ahead.
Children live entirely in the here and now.
Their enthusiasm is contagious because of it.
For them, even the simplest story can unfold like the most thrilling adventure imaginable.
Maybe grown-ups just need to lighten up sometimes
Kids can crack up laughing at:
- a wild burst of sound,
- a banana that talks,
- a dragon with the hiccups.
That's probably exactly why fantasy for kids never stops being fun.
Because not everything needs a reason to be fun.