幼稚園における「森にいる空想上の存在」が幼児に果たす役割

The purpose of this study was to show how the role played by an imaginary being from the forest (named “Gory”) was described in kindergartens with forest themes. We examined how five-year-old kindergarteners responded after meeting Gory, as impersonated by an adult. We noted that Gory, an imaginary being from the forest, assumed the following four roles for children: a) By seeing Gory in real life, he became a close companion to the children. allowing their own thoughts to be projected in various ways and for children to freely create narratives about him. Through his presence, Gory encouraged children not only to explore reality, but also to be imaginative while thinking about him. b) Gory represented the intersection between reality and the imaginary world surrounding children, encouraging them to think logically. c) The image children formed from meeting Gory and the feeling of “our Gory” generated from these encounters made Gory a symbol of something for kindergarteners and could help young children to recall symbolic and concrete common images. d) By creating an image of Gory as a presence that gives a sense of security, the anxiety that young children felt toward the natural environment, such as forests, was reduced and a sense of security was instilled in them.