Face painting brand Snazaroo has revealed that imaginary friends are on the decline among British children as their use of technology continues to grow.
Snazaroo commissioned the study as part of a campaign to encourage creativity. A poll of 2,000 parents in the UK found that just 17% of children have imaginary friends, a rapid decline from 2001, when a similar study found almost half of British kids had an invented playmate.
These findings have sparked concern that the increasing use of technology is damaging kid’s creativity and has been backed up by a recent social science study which revealed that children are less likely tolearn how to be creative with so much stimulation found readily on screens.
Snazaroo commissioned the research as part of its campaign to encourage imaginative play, finding girls are 10% more likely to fictionalise a playmate compared to boys.
Face painting and other role play activity actively encourages transformative and imaginative play. This is one of the brain’s favourite ways to learn and helps children develop key executive functions in early childhood.
Snazaroo face paints are designed to spark children’s imaginations and provide them with essentials for tapping into the joys of transformation and play.
