Imagination, copenhagen, kids
There is a pity that it is not possible to return to the old daily life because of the coronavirus, but there are things that are new to do because of the coronavirus. I couldn’t go to the kids cafe or indoor playground with my children, so I went to visit nature a lot. Excursions with children in the woods, fields, seas, hills, and lakes to discover the nature of Denmark are exciting. I heard a news from a friend.
Giants live around Copenhagen!
Giants/Trolls. These days, Copenhagen parents go to giants hunting with their children. These giants are hidden in nature around Copenhagen. They are not real giants, but they are “artwork” made out of recycled garbage or scrap. The 6 forgotten giants were created by Copenhagen-based artist and environmentalist Thomas Dambo and his team. Children find these works in nature, touch them, ride them, and appreciate them to their heart’s content.
I think the Nordic people have great imagination!
I often hear these stories. Northern Europe is evaluated as having high imagination and high creativity due to its excellent design and sensuous interior. The works of Danish architects and designers have created many works that have not changed in value over time, and even today, works beyond imagination are pouring out. Their philosophy and mindset have created aesthetically outstanding works and can be easily seen in their daily life and in their home. Imagination and creativity cannot be measured like IQ, but the difference between the starting point and viewpoint of thinking makes me think that creativity is excellent.
If you say that your imagination and creativity are outstanding, you are curious where the imagination comes from. Imagination does not develop in a short time. The environment and the process of growth as a child have a profound influence. In order to raise them up as children with good imagination, they watch with interest if there is anything else people here do.
Do you have an imagination class?
I have asked this question to Danish people I know. However, there was no special class that specifically fostered imagination and increased creativity. What I’ve seen and heard so far is emphasizing outdoor activities and letting children play to their hearts’ content. In Denmark, it is important to allow children to play in nature, and to keep children out of the box (if you have the opportunity, I would like to post more in-depth posts on playing freely and outdoors).
We have found 3 of the 6 giants so far with our children (the project is still in progress and the number of giants will increase). In the process of searching for these giants, I liked to be able to learn about the Danish nature, and I often admire the amazing imagination while finding them.
I visited with the children, and I looked for the elements of the imagination seen in the artist and his works.
Elements necessary for imagination found in giants
Story-telling and Fantasy
Giants represent nature that is now suffering. The abstract and difficult-to-understand ‘nature’ was woven into a story so that children can understand it. They are from space and protect the Earth. Each giant has a name and a story. Children are interested in stories. In children’s minds, these giants live. The power of storytelling is strong and stimulates children’s fantasy. When story and fantasy meet, imagination explodes.
Nature
I know that nature has a positive effect on children, but I didn’t know well before I became a mother what kind of effect it would have. Giants are hidden in nature around Copenhagen. You can fully enjoy nature on your journey to visit the giant. What nature gives away from play in a playground where everything is “expectable” is “exceeding expectations”. As with our life, when we find new rules and create our own rules rather than excellence within the set rules, the life of children seems to be a wonderful life that no one imagined. Nature is the best place to draw your imagination.
Fun
In order to find the giants, we need’map’. The process of finding a giant is very fun as if it were a treasure hunt. They find a giant this weekend and the children wait for the next weekend. It brings more fun beyond everyday life to the “mission” to visit the giant. When there is’fun’, children’s concentration increases. When I was young, playing hide and seek was the best game. And now when I play hide-and-seek with my children, I can see the curiosity and emotions that fill their eyes. Imagining the hidden things and looking for the hidden things in person seems to be a very good practice of imagination.
Allowed Stupidity
The source of his imagination can be found by listening to an interview with Thomas Collateral by “VICE” posted on the website. Among them, the impressive part was the story of 4000 new houses. Currently, the Giant Project is a successful project that has been spawned worldwide with Copenhagen City, but his imagination did not shine from the beginning. The first thing he did was to build a new house.
After making 4000 various new houses, unusual new houses started to be made after 4000.
People may have thought they were doing stupid things until 4000 new houses were built. You won’t be able to understand why you’re doing something no one knows about. However, I thought that without those 4,000 “stupid”, there would not have been a new home in the world, and the giant project after that would not have been born. So that children can use their imagination to the fullest, I think about whether I will work together to build 4,000 new houses, or whether they will patience and pretend that it is useless in the eyes of adults.
Sensory Stimulation
The senses that children feel are different from those of us as adults. Children get information through their senses and properly stimulate their senses to give them good brain development. Thomas Mortgage’s giants differ slightly from ordinary works of art. The purpose of the 6 giants is to let children experience ‘seeing the giant’, ‘touching’, ‘smelling the smell’, ‘feeling’ and ‘raising up’. The appearance of large giants stimulates the visual sense and stimulates the sense of touch by touching and climbing. It is a work made of ‘garbage’ and ‘recyclable waste’, but by touching ‘garbage’, it sensibly changes the perspective on garbage.
Change in Perspective
In an interview, Thomas Columbo says he was a child with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) as a child. He says he was distracted and had difficulty concentrating, but he was a big kid with new ideas and passion. His innate disposition and environmental factors were ‘disadvantages’, but he used those disadvantages as an advantage. The world looks different if you look at the conceptual definitions from your own perspective instead of looking at them. It is just the difference between perspective and gaze. It is in the same context that “useless waste” was considered as “material necessary for art”. They create things that others haven’t thought of by changing perspectives. Creativity comes from a variety of perspectives. Let them know that the world can turn into the world I want to see by finding meaning in the difference.
Connecting with Values
The last thing that fills the heart by spending the day with the children, seeing new things, and returning home is the time to instill’good values’ in the heart. As a parent, I feel rewarded when I can teach my children the good things of the world I’ve learned. Returning to see the giants, he talks about the importance of nature, sustainability, and the importance of living together, hoping that he can understand the parts.
Seeing the results of his thoughts and enthusiasm and the people who have found specific ways to contribute to the world and make a good impact, they fill inspiration. Thomas Dambo’s work has led the city of Copenhagen and other organizations to join and support the work, and more people are giving it to what he wants to do. Work of good value has the power to spread. His imagination and creativity will shine even more like this.
Works that contain messages like this seem to remain deep in people’s minds for a long time. After a long time seeing the inspiring giants of Thomas Morn, spending a fruitful weekend with children and envious of his amazing imagination.