Why Fantasy? The Importance of Nurturing the Pre-Teen Imagination

Albert Einstein believed that, “When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than any talent for abstract, positive thinking.”

As we continue to launch our Excerpts from an Unknown Guidebook Series in books, films, and other new media platforms, I’m asked repeatedly, “Why create fantasy for kids?”

From a transmedia entertainment perspective, we’ve been told that our series would be more marketable if we skewed our content to a more mature audience. That’s all well and good, but “the experts,” are missing out on the core reason why we ‘re leveraging the fantasy genre to reach a younger demographic first.

The answer is simply that we wanted children to hear this message -

Stories have power, and everyone’s story matters, so tell your story and own it.

That message told to a 9 or 10 year old through fantastic adventures will have a life-long impact on them. Pre-teens are in a very formative, transitionary stage of development physically, mentally, and emotionally. The skin on the parental bubble that protected them for so many years is thinning and they are too quickly being exposed to all the things that make this world a very scary place.

That’s why fantasy is such a powerful genre for children — it allows them to explore unknown dangers and the strange fears that are all part of growing up. It also allows pre-teens to experience the power of friendship, love, compassion and empathy for others in an environment that is far different from the daily world in which they live.

The fantasy genre in the pre-teen market also provides a real opportunity to promote literacy, creative problem solving, and critical thinking among school-aged children. These are very important skills that become even more accessible and engaging when framed inside an exciting adventure series.

Fantasy provides an opportunity to escape, explore, and experience the unknown, while learning some great life lessons along the way.

In his WIRED article, “Why Fantasy Matters,” R.L. Lafevers points out:

“If we only expose kids to what actually exists, only the basic realities of the world, we have for all intents and purposes limited the world they live in. How will they know to look beyond the next horizon, to reach past the stars and planets we see today, to approach a problem in a completely new and unfamiliar way?

But it’s not just about their career choices and their ability to shape the world they live in. It is also critical in their personal lives. How can you dream big if you have no imagination? How can you strive beyond the everyday if you have no idea what the fantastical might look like? If you’ve never seen a hero embark on a quest for the impossible — and achieve it, where will you find the courage to try? If no one has ever told you stories of someone reaching for the unreachable, how will you ever know to reach for the stars?… Another oft ignored connection is that imagination is a key component of empathy. How can you empathize with someone, if you can’t imagine what they must be feeling?

By helping kids to exercise their imaginations, we help them expand their internal, external, and emotional worlds.”

At Folktellers, we believe that the message we’re conveying to our young audience is powerful and important. We know that if we can affect even one young person in a positive way then it will all be worth it.

As it was when we were young, so it remains today –

Your story matters, your story is important, so tell your story.