Have You Ever Wondered...

Do you daydream?
Can daydreams be helpful?
What do you usually daydream about?

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Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Salla. Salla Wonders, “Why do people daydream?” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Salla!

Has this ever happened to you? You hear your name and you suddenly snap back to reality. The teacher is looking at you. She must have been the one who called your name. You wonder what she wants.

Then you realize what’s going on. You’re in class. She is expecting an answer from you. You have no clue what she just asked you. Why? You were daydreaming, of course!

All of us daydream from time to time. Unlike a dream you have while you’re sleeping, a daydream occurs when you’re awake. Like a regular dream, your mind might take you to a place far, far away from where you are.

During a daydream, your concentration is elsewhere. You’re physically in school or at home or wherever you are. But your mind is far away from whatever is going on right in front of you. Reality becomes blurry, replaced by a temporary vision or fantasy taking place in your mind.

Daydreams often revolve around pleasant or happy thoughts. You might daydream about your hopes and dreams. For example, you might daydream about scoring the winning goal in your next soccer match. Or maybe your daydream will be about that special someone asking you to go to the next school dance.

Sometimes daydreams are frowned upon. Like that earlier scenario in which you were daydreaming in class and had no clue what the teacher asked you? That’s not good. During school is not the time to daydream unless that’s part of the lesson!

Employers also often frown upon daydreaming. When there’s work to be done, your boss wants you to work, not daydream. Of course, some jobs require daydreams. For example, daydreaming can be helpful to an author or a scientist. It’s also helpful for someone who creates new Wonders of the Day!

If you visit Wonderopolis regularly, you know how valuable daydreaming can be. Many of the cool things you read about came about as a result of our Wonder Friends daydreaming of new Wonders!

Daydreaming can also help you get into a positive state of mind. Focusing on your hopes and dreams can help motivate you. Daydreams can also provide inspiration to do WONDERful things that you might not otherwise be brave enough to try!

Standards: CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.W.3, CCRA.L.1, CCRA.L.2

Wonder Contributors

We’d like to thank:

Ava , Scottie, Nevaeh, and MIa
for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic!

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Try It Out

OK, it's time to stop daydreaming and get to work! Check out one or more of the following activities with a friend or family member:

What's the last thing you daydreamed about? Can you remember? Chances are you've done some daydreaming in the recent past. Think back to that time and try to remember what it was you daydreamed about. Or perhaps you have a favorite daydream that you let your mind drift to on a regular basis. Maybe thoughts of a remote beach where you can take a siesta in the shade before swimming with dolphins at dusk? Whatever it is, try to capture it in words and share your written daydream with a friend or family member.
Can you use daydreams for motivation and inspiration? You bet you can! Think about a few hopes, dreams, or goals that you have for the near future. Spend some time daydreaming about what it will be like the minute you reach that goal or realize that dream. Perhaps your daydream will help illuminate the path you need to take to make that dream a reality. Have fun and keep a daydream journal that contains the thoughts that come to mind while you daydream. You never know when those words will lead to inspiration in a new and powerful way!
Ready to daydream? That's right! We're officially giving you permission to do a little daydreaming right here and now. What should you daydream about? Well…what's been on your mind? Is there something that's been bothering you? Do you have a problem that needs a solution? Maybe a little daydream will help your brain craft the solution you've been looking for. Perhaps you need inspiration for an upcoming project? Take some time to daydream about the full range of possibilities before you. If you set your mind free to wander for a while, you never know when it'll stumble upon the inspiration you've patiently been waiting for. Maybe you just need to close your eyes and let your mind wander aimlessly with no preconceived thoughts or notions floating around inside your head. Try to wipe your internal mental slate clean. Think about absolutely nothing. When your mind is clear, let it go where it wants. You might be surprised where you end up! Go with the flow and let your daydream serve as a short trip to somewhere your brain has always wanted to go!

Wonder Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daydream (accessed 15 Aug. 2019)
http://www.dreammoods.com/dreaminformation/dreamtypes/daydreams.htm (accessed 15 Aug. 2019)
http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/why-does-daydreaming-get-such-bad-rap (accessed 15 Aug. 2019)
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/frontal-cortex/2012/06/the-virtues-of-daydreaming.html (accessed 15 Aug. 2019)

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Wonder Contributors

We’d like to thank:

Ava , Scottie, Nevaeh and MIa
for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic!

Keep WONDERing with us!

What are you wondering?

Wonder Words

Take the Wonder Word Challenge

Join the Discussion

I don't day dream because i a webel

i wonder if realite is just a day dream... like maybe your day dreaming reading my comment.....wonders. i have so many wonders.

It took me a while to snap out of my trance when they said try it-

This story is very interesting. When it gave me the chance to day dream it took me a while to go back to reality and do my class work. (U ^U^)

I love how they explained that daydreaming can be good and bad.

Why do you say that, Damian?

where is the quize

there is no quiz

Hrm. We are seeing a quiz on our end. Please let us know if you continue to have problems.

Click the button in 'Did You Get It?' for the comprehension quiz.

i have experienced this multiple times and I agree with everything the article said because i have day dreamed before .

Sometimes, we can't help but daydream, evelin!

I daydream all day at school so yes it ok to daydream so like what is you dream about

Hi Miesha!

What do YOU daydream about? We think everyone is different when it comes to daydreams.

That was really interesting article!

We're so glad that you liked this Wonder, Bryson!

I learned that daydreaming can help you feel inspired to do something.

Thanks for sharing what you learned, N! Keep on WONDERing with us!

cool i like it!

Awesome, keira! We hope you'll visit Wonderopolis again soon for more WONDERing! :)

I'm wondering about dreams and nightmares. Like how you "create" a wonderful dream or a scary nightmare.

Hi, WONDER Friend! It's interesting to learn about dreams. We encourage you to keep researching at your library and online. Always keep WONDERing! :)

your right

Thanks for joining the discussion! We're glad you stopped by Wonderopolis! Hope you had fun exploring this Wonder! :)

but don't have any 4 facts ?

There are lots of theories on what works to prevent bad dreams/nightmares, luby. Maybe a Wonder Journey is what you need--because everyone is different and what works for one person won't necessarily work for another.

I wonder..... why people daydream and then all of a sudden they just snap out of it like it never happened but they still remember the daydream. I also wonder why people almost always daydream about good things instead of bad things.

I wonder if you can daydream when it is time to go to bed and I also wonder if what and were makes you daydream and where. No one will ever know when you will daydream.

I wonder if i will ever daydream because my family did a lot when they went here.

Thank you for WONDERing with us today, Amauri, DeMetrius, and Mackenzie! We're glad you shared your comments about daydreaming - daydreaming is great, but focusing on our school work and classes is very important. We can daydream during our free time when we have time to let our mind run free. We're glad you have been exercising your WONDERful imaginations today; we look forward to seeing you again soon! :)

I wonder why do we dream at night and in the day. I wonder who made up day dreaming do we always dream of what you think of if you dream about somebody do you both dream of the same thing. I wonder if we always dream of the same thing.

I wonder why do people daydream I daydream once I look somewhere for 10 seconds then I'm daydreaming once I get out of it how does that happen? You're in your own world when your eyes are open but how?

I WONDER-I wonder if while you're daydreaming can you do weird stuff like talk. CONNECTION-One day in class I was daydreaming in 4th grade and my teacher said my name and I didn't know what we we talking about. I WONDER- I wonder why people daydream and what makes them daydream.

Thanks for sharing your comments with us today, Ben and Tranae! We're so excited that you've got some questions and Wonders of your own! Perhaps you can do some more research with the help of your librarian and the Internet. WONDERing about daydreaming brings up lots of awesome questions, just like you posted! Nice work! :)

I wonder how long can people daydream? Can people daydream two things at a time?

I wonder does every kid have daydreaming like do they daydream like me and do they daydream during school? Sometimes I wonder if what involves in day dreaming like other people I wonder if you just sit there and daydream in school too and if you do it at home I love day dreaming when I'm at home I daydream staring at the birds and the beautiful grass and just watch the wind blow it and just wonder I'm really excited when I daydream.

You make some great points and connections to today's Wonder, Donavin and Lindsey! Sometimes your mind runs free and you begin to daydream about something else. That's okay if it happens from time to time - it's a great way to use your imaginations! However, we don't want to be daydreaming during school because it affects your focus and attention. If you find yourself daydreaming during class, please tell a teacher or a parent. We want to make sure you are able to focus, Wonder Friends! Keep up the great work and keep WONDERing! :)

Daydreaming is when you are dreaming in your mind.

I wonder if daydreams can be scary like nightmares, and if they can lead to sleep. I think tomorrow's wonder will be about jobs.

Hi there, Kimmie and Elizabeth! We are glad you shared your daydreaming questions and we hope you will talk about what you learned with your family and friends. Perhaps discussing different types of daydreams will help you understand how daydreams occur and maybe even why! What great comments you've shared today, Wonder Friends! Thank you! :)

I wonder how daydreaming gets in your head because you can't just daydream because you want to it's a certain way it comes and I want to know. I also wonder if you daydream because you stare at something so you daydream about whatever you're staring at that's what I wonder about today.

I wonder if everybody has day dream?

Thanks for WONDERing with us today, Edgar and Carlos! Daydreaming is a great thing, as long as you're not doing it in the middle of the school day or when someone is speaking to you! While it's hard to say if everyone has a daydream, we estimate that the majority of people daydream - they may not even realize it! Thanks for sharing your comments with us, we look forward to WONDERing with you again soon! :)

I wonder why people daydream because I daydream a lot too, like when my mom is talking to me I sometimes daydream and just say ok to her. And thanks for sharing this video with us it was awesome.

You can daydream about anything even about what your learning

Nice comments, Addy and Donavin! Daydreams happen when we least expect it - our minds take over and we find ourselves in the middle of a reverie, or dream. You can daydream about what you've WONDERed about and let your imagination run free, as long as you're not supposed to be paying attention to anything else at the time! :)

I wonder how day dreaming happens?

I wonder what makes us daydream awake and not asleep. what makes us daydream awake and not asleep

Hi Adrian and Aniziah! Daydreaming sometimes happens when we least expect it - we're caught up in our thoughts and we forget to pay attention or focus. We know it happens once in a while, but daydreaming is a great thing when we have free time. We can Wonder and use our imaginations while we daydream - it's a way for our brain to work in creative ways! :)

I wonder how people daydream and I think what they are looking they go in to daydreaming.

I wonder why we day dream about happy things that we desire the most that could be in our life?

Great questions, Micaiah and Kamarien! We hope you’ll continue to research and Wonder about your very own questions… and we think you’ll enjoy this Wonder, too: Wonder #878– Are You Left- or Right-Brained? https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/are-you-left-or-right-brained/ :)

I wonder why people day dream?

What makes your mind stop and makes you daydream?

I have daydreamed a lot of times in 4th grade

Thanks for joining the fun today, Lexy and Kamarien! We're so glad you learned something new with us today about daydreaming (when it's okay to daydream, and when we should be focusing and paying attention to our school work)! :) Keep WONDERing and we hope to see you very soon, Wonder Friends! :)

I want to learn more about this! THANK YOU!!! PLEASE.... keep doing what your doing. You're WONDERful!

Of course they are P.S. Call me Lexy

I don't think I've ever daydreamed before. I might have but I don't know. How does daydreaming occur even when you're not sleepy? I would love if I knew a lot about daydreaming and all about brains and what it does to your brain to make it think and dream.

Hi Sean and Vaniyah! Thanks for visiting us today! What do you like to daydream about? We find ourselves daydreaming about fun activities that we have coming up, or even what we will do when we are older! We think the brain is a pretty cool thing and we hope you use your WONDERful imagination to daydream and Wonder! Thanks for sharing your comments today!

I didn't know that daydreaming did wonderful things. I wonder what tomorrow's is?

I was just wondering when I read this! I always wonder.

Hi Jeremiah and Miracle! We are glad you're both daydreamers (as long as you're not daydreaming when you should be paying attention)! Thanks for using your awesome imaginations to share your thoughts, connections and predictions with us! We look forward to WONDERing with you again soon! :)

THOUGHT:I think I daydream very often. CONNECTION: Most people I know daydream a lot. PREDICTION: It will be about a touching inspiration. WWOTD:A lot of people use the word resolve.

THOUGHT:I never knew that we daydream I thought we only dreamed when we go to sleep. CONNECTION:I think I dreamed in the day before because sometimes I get called in class and my teacher tells me what is the answer and I say I don`t know. WWOTD:Sometimes I have to revolve my poke`mon to make it stronger. PREDICTION:I think tomorrow's wonder will be about life.

Hi Tiffany and Kaylen! We're glad you're paying attention and focusing in class; if you have trouble doing so, we hope you'll talk to your teachers or a parent about that. We want you to do great in and out of the classroom! :) We are proud of you for WONDERing and sharing your thoughts, connections, and predictions with us. We love your creativity in forming a sentence using our Wonder word of the day, too! Great work! :)

THOUGHT:I thought that the video was okay but not as good as the others. CONNECTION:I do daydream sometimes when I'm very bored. PREDICTION:I think tomorrow's wonder will be inspiring. WWOTD:The world does not revolve around me.

I really enjoyed the video.

Hi there Destiny and Alaina! Most times we daydream, we don't even realize it- we're caught up in our own thoughts or ideas! As long as you're not daydreaming while someone is speaking to you or you're in school, we hope you continue to daydream and Wonder! It's a great way to use your imaginations! Keep up the great work, Wonder Friends! :)

THOUGHT: I thought that people daydreamed sleeping during the day. CONNECTION: I was at my house and my mom was talking to me and I didn't here her that must of meant I was day dreaming. WWOTD: The whole world doesn't revolve around you. PREDICTION: I think tomorrow's wonder will be about inspiring people.

THOUGHT:I like the video because it shows the boys' imaginations. CONNECTION: I used to daydream. WWOTD:(revolve) My birthday revolves around me. PREDICTION: Playing tag.

Hi Tairyn and Chett! Sometimes great ideas and thoughts come from being bored and finding yourself in the middle of a daydream! We like your thoughts and connections to today's Wonder about daydreams, and we hope you continue to use those awesome imaginations of yours! :)

THOUGHT I thought the story was going to be boring. CONNECTION-- I daydream when I am bored. PREDICTION--I love daydreaming when I am bored. WWOTD--I revolve at the fair going round and around.

THOUGHT: I sometimes never knew that you could daydream out of nowhere. CONNECTION: Sometimes I daydream at home in school. PREDICTION: I predict that tomorrow's wonder will be about magic. EXAMPLE: The world does not revolve around me. WWOTD: Revolve means "to turn on or around an axis or center".

Great work today, Alex and Jenna! Daydreaming sometimes happens when you don't even realize it - but your mind and imagination are working hard! Thanks for visiting us today to Wonder, learn and explore! We hope to see you tomorrow! :)

THOUGHT: It really didn't make sense. CONNECTION: I don't daydream I dream dream WWOTD: Revolve the word doesn't revolve around me. PREDICTION: I bet tomorrows wonder will be about ideals.

THOUGHT:the video was interesting very but to me they should have added more of the meaning like the only information about it was the name and then about the music. CONNECTION: Wow I fill like it's connected to me because I daydream a lot so daydreaming is like sleep so it is helpful.

Good afternoon, Timothy and Janiya! We're glad you have been WONDERing about the different ways to daydream - sometimes it happens during the day, and sometimes it happens when you're ready to sleep, too! We are glad you learned something new with us today, Wonder Friends! See you soon! :)

THOUGHT: I thought daydream was going to sleep CONNECTION: I daydreamed once. WWOTD: PREDICTION: My prediction is in a daydream.

Thought : I think about daydreaming sometimes . Connection : I daydream lots of times. Prediction : It will be about living your dreams out . I am revolving around the classroom.

Hi Elizabeth and Christopher, thanks for visiting us all week! We've really enjoyed WONDERing with you about all sorts of topics! HOORAY! :) We are glad that you've been using your WONDERful imaginations with us today and you continue to dream and Wonder. We love your predictions and we hope you enjoy this Wonder in the meantime: #673-- Can Kids Be Inventors Too? https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/can-kids-be-inventors-too/ :)

THOUGHT:I liked the video because it showed somebody using his imagination. CONNECTION:Sometimes I daydream. WWOTD:The world does not revolve around you. PREDICTION:I think tomorrow's wonder will be about something that inspires you.

thought: Who came up with the idea to use batteries to make things spin? connection: I spin around on some rides at the carnival. WWOTD: Revolve - the globe spines around. prediction: I predict that tomorrow's wonder is going to be about an animal.

Great work, Deven and Danessa! We're glad you shared your thoughts and connections to our Wonder today - what do you daydream about? We hope you'll be back to Wonder with us tomorrow... great predictions! :)

COMMENT: But I like the video THOUGHT:I thought that he would drown PREDICTION: I predict that he would wake up WWOTD: I revolve around my desk

THOUGHT:I kind of didn't get it. CONNECTION:I daydream soo much. PREDICTION:I predict that tomorrow's wonder of the day is about EXAMPLE:The world revolve's around me. WWOTD:revolve

Hi there Assata and Keith! It sounds like you both enjoy daydreaming - we bet you come up with some great ideas while you do (as long as you're daydreaming in your free time... not during school!) Thanks for doing a great job of using the Wonder word in a sentence: we Wonder what topic tomorrow's Wonder will revolve around? :)

THOUGHT:I thought that the video was cool and then I was daydreaming all of a student. CONNECTION: my connection is that when I daydream I see fish and other animals. WWOTD: the world does not revolve around you. PREDICTION:I predict that tomorrow wonder of the day will be candy.

THOUGHT:I thought video was boring I had no feelings about the video. CONNECTION: my connection is that when you daydream it's about something you enjoy and sometimes not. WWOTD: The world doesn't revolve around you. PREDICTION: MY prediction is that it's going to be about people.

Thanks for coming back to Wonder with us, Jeremiah and Andrea! Daydreaming can be great for using your imagination and thinking about the future, but we don't want you daydreaming during class! :) Sometimes your mind takes off and you begin to W-O-N-D-E-R, too! You both make great points, thanks for sharing! :)

THOUGHT:I had no idea that it is sometimes bad to daydream. CONNECTION:In class once I was daydreaming about the book we read if you could fly. WWOTD:The world does not revolve around me. PREDICTION:It will probably be about don't give up on your dream just go for it.

THOUGHT:Daydreaming...please! I never daydream I don't know why people do that. Just dream at night. If you sleep at day time, you might be doing homework at night. CONNECTION:My cousin loved guns and he was day dreaming and he told me that the teacher asked him a algebra question but he was daydreaming. He said AK-47...and the teacher said it was correct but take out the AK part. HA HA! WWOTD: The gun revolves its a mag to shoot. PREDICTION:I think tomorrow's Wonder is about jobs.

Hi there, TJ and Tam! We're so glad that you and your Wonder Friends from Mrs. Liles' Class have joined us to Wonder again today! WOHOO! We love your fun connection to daydreaming, and your cousin is a lucky guy that he answered the question correctly! Phew! :) Thanks for making us smile, Wonder Friends! :)

I like it, it was cool.

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pay particular attention to

not permanent; not lasting

all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you

arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity

the action or power of focusing one's attention or mental effort

an outline or synopsis of a play (or, by extension, of a literary work)

in accord with physical laws

turn on or around an axis or a center

give an incentive for action

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Have You Ever Wondered...

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jenna Mrs. Liles class

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Janiya ms liles class

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christopher mrsliles class

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