Walking down the main hallway in my school and a little girl who is not one of my students turns to me and says,
“This is my imaginary horse.”
I replied, ” It is nice to meet your horse. What is his name?”
“Horsey.”
“What does Horsey look like?”
“Oh, he is brown like chocolate with white splots. A big splot on his nose like a cloud.”
“There is a class coming down the hall…”
“Oh don’t worry. Horsey isn’t on that side. He is standing behind me.”
“I’m glad to know he is safe and not in the way of the class. This is my room. It was nice to meet both of you.”
“Horsey is neighing at you. He likes you. Bye!”
The little girl walks away with her arm out behind her as if holding the reigns of Horsey as they continue on their walk back to her own room.
It ways a delight of my day to be invited into this imaginary world. I treasured that this little learner had created a bit of fun while walking in the hallway. Walking with a horse is so much better than just being alone in the long main hallway as you are returning to class. It brought a smile and made me pause- this is why I love working with K-2 students- their innocence, playfulness, imagination, wonder and joy. As I walk this hallway many times each day, I will keep my eyes open for Horsey and his imaginative owner.
Doodads and Doodles 
22 responses to “The Joys of Imagination- Day 5 SOLSC”
Love the interaction you had with this little girl. Glad Horsey liked you as well. Could have been some trouble if Horsey were agitated. It is a shame that some of us lose our imagination as we age.
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What a joy to see that world. I love the way you describe her departure: “…walks away with her arm out behind her as if holding the reigns of Horsey.” I can totally see that, and her assurance that Horsey won’t get in the way of other students because he’s behind her. Wonder-full!
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Thanks for sharing. I’m a little intimidated by the elementary kiddos, but this definitely makes them more appealing. Would it shock you to hear that I could imagine having this conversation with a high schooler too?
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High schoolers intimidate me!
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What a delightful interaction, indeed! A true slice of your day…perhaps the richest one at that. Thank you for sharing and reminding me what life in like from the lens of this student.
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How fun and cute! I love it! That would have made my day too! Thank you for sharing this with us 🙂
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So sweet, and I love how she confided in you. You were obviously a good choice, as you willingly entered her world. I like the telling through dialogue, and also the color coding to help us. Very nicely done.
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Thank you for reading.
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That little girl and her horsey is why I teach! After 45 years – I’m still surprised and tickled by kids’ big imaginations! There is HOPE for this crazy world!
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Oh yes working with the youngest learners you did see hope for this world.
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I love these kind of interactions with students. This really made me smile.
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It’s so wonderful the way a child can just invite you into their world without missing a beat and fill you in on all the details. No wonder it made your day!
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Definitely a joyful moment for sure!
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[…] from Doodads and Doodles wrote a post titled, The Joys of Imagination. This slice is a perfect example of a spontaneous conversation turned into a story. You’ll […]
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I love it and the magical picture you paired with the story!
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Thank you very much.
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I love the way that you captured how this little one’s mind worked and how she helped you used yours too. What a sweet slice!
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Thank you.
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Such a sweet story, Cathy. I can imagine one of my Kindergarteners telling a similar one about a unicorn, perhaps. I wish I could have been in that hallway to witness such magic.
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That is why I love working with young learners!
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Way to capture a child’s imagination in this slice! I like your use of colored text to distinguish the different parts of your slice.
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Thank you
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