Activity

  1. Read the first couple of pages of the picture book Nimesh the Adventurer by Ranjit Singh.
  2. Show the page where Nimesh is walking down the street to home but before the reveal of what he imagines it to be. Ask students what they think Nimesh might imagine his street to be, then reveal it to be the North Pole. You could then finish the book if time or move onto the next step.
  3. Take the children on a walk around the school or local area (alternatives: task them with doing this on their next journey to/from school or ask them to just remember their journey in).
  4. For each new ‘place’ ask them to imagine where else they could be or what imaginary things they can pretend to see. Remind them to be as fantastical as possible and it is fine to say the first thing that comes into their heads. You could prompt them with questions such as: What does this remind you of? What adventure might happen here? What would make this more magical/fantastical/ fun? E.g. a park could become a jungle filled with tigers, a busy road might be a river swarming with piranhas, the dinner hall might be the base camp of Mount Everest, the playground might be the surface of Mars with alien life hiding inside craters.

Reflection

  • What made you think of that?
  • Where did your ideas come from?
  • Was it easy or hard to think of things on the spot?

Go Further

Ask students to draw a scene from their imaginary journey, or create a map of their journey home from school but including the fantasy lands, characters and adventures that happen along the way.


Imaginative: Using Intuition

This activity encourages pupils to rely on their subconscious memories, daydreams, and fantasies for creative inspiration - encouraging them to make new connections without analytical thinking.