In this video I’m sharing a really important Montessori distinction: imagination isn’t the same thing as fantasy. In a Montessori environment, fantasy characters (fairies, goblins, witches, superheroes, unicorns, Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and so on) aren’t introduced before age six, and I explain why we follow that at home with Isla and Iris. I walk you through five reasons: fantasy can be genuinely confusing for young children in the absorbent mind stage, it can damage trust when children realise adults have told them untruths, and children under six often struggle to separate what’s real from what’s pretend—especially when movies make it look “real.” I also talk honestly about how fantasy can cause harm: from rare but serious “superhero” accidents to the much more common fears and nightmares that can pop up when children are introduced to scary characters. I share my own experience with Isla wanting a light on at night after friends introduced “monsters and ghosts,” and how much reminding she still needs that those things are pretend. Finally, I give practical alternatives to foster creativity without fantasy: offer real-world experiences (invite your child into the real kitchen), prioritise non-fiction and reality-based stories, and encourage role play grounded in real life (like the doctor’s surgery role play I set up when Isla was interested in the human body). The world is magical enough—nature and real facts provide more than enough wonder.