Three expert-recommended dream crafting methods
Ian Wallace went on to share three different playful methods you can use to help kids dream craft in their dreams: Dream Play, Imaginal Play and Active Play.
Dream Play: Encourage your child to reimagine their dream immediately or shortly after they wake up. This can help them realize that they can guide or change the scary parts of their dreams. For example, if they dreamt about a monster, what happens if they imagine the monster becoming a friendly character instead? Or a tiny monster pet? A monster truck, perhaps? As the child does this, they realize that they have power over the images that they are creating in their mind – and how they feel about them.
Imaginal Play: Ask your child to pick a scene from their dream, describe it in detail and play around with it: what did they see? Who was there? Even if they can’t recall the exact details, they can fill them out with their imagination. The more they do this, the more they exercise their ability to create detailed scenarios while they dream.
And finally, Active Play: Here’s where you and your kid get to recreate, reconstruct and reenact scenes from their dreams using their creativity: drawing, role-playing or even building them (LEGO bricks will come in handy here!). This hands-on method deepens emotional connections and shows kids how their creativity can guide their dreams into whatever they want. You’re tapping into your kid’s creativity and helping them feel empowered, especially if they’ve been dealing with nightmares or sleep anxiety.