Consider what animals epitomize: They're instinctual creatures that live in harmony with nature and are difficult to control. They're powerful, but they can be ferocious with sharp fangs and claws. Animals are typically feared in young children's dreams; however, children can have dreams of happily playing with a favorite furry friend. A child's view of animals (ones she likes or fears) is going to be shaped by what she's exposed to at home. (Do you have pets? What kinds of pets? Do you live in the country or the city?) Furthermore, if you think about it, animals and children live somewhat parallel lives in the sense that they're both savage to a degree. (How many times do parents say, "He acts like a little wild animal?!"). And human beings alter natural environments and try to tame wild creatures just as parents try to teach their children self-control and instruct them on how to behave. So when talking animals appear in kids dreams by talking or giving advice, this may be part of the child's self-realization that he's growing up and is more in control of his behavior.

Being chased or attacked in a dream is quite scary for any individual, especially a child. And these nightmares are actually quite common. After all, how many times have you woken up from one of them feeling anxious and helpless, yet relieved once you've discovered the experience wasn't real. These dreams are our way of sorting out a conflict we're dealing with in everyday life, and this type of internal struggle is similar for children. They may be reacting to a perceived or real threat (eg. a school bully or a mean sibling) or an obstacle to getting something they want.

If the child is the biter, she's probably grappling with angry emotions. She may be frustrated or upset with how someone treats her. If the child is the one being bitten, perhaps she feels someone is directing hostility toward her, or someone may have hurt her feelings.

Because they're associated with large, sharp teeth and they can breathe fire, dragons can be associated with anger either the dreamer is experiencing or the dreamer feels is being directed at him. They can also stand for villains that are threatening the dreamer in real life, or because of a dragons large body, they can symbolize something that's overwhelming the dreamer. For tweens and adolescents, dragons can also represent sensuality.

When fearful or confused about something, a child who isn't accustomed to the outdoors, might dream about a forest as a setting for being lost or seeking for something. For this child, the forest represents the unknown.

Ask any hiker, it takes great effort to climb a mountain. It represents a challenge that individuals of all ages want to overcome, whether they're scaling the mountain on foot or with a vehicle. So if your child or teenager says he keeps sliding backwards or there is some obstacle to getting up the mountain, his outlook could be gloomy at that point in time, he may feel he can't achieve something he wants, he's made a bad decision, or he's heading down the wrong path in life. If your child says he went up the mountain quite easily, he mood and mind-set is positive and hopeful. Mountains can also be a setting for when kids are lost in a dream.

The sun's rays nurture life, so they can be associated with good health and growth, as well as happiness, as in the way a beautiful, sunny day brightens a person's mood. However, depending on where the dreamer lives, the sun can take on a different meaning. For example, if the dreamer lives in an extremely hot and harsh climate, then the sun may be viewed as a force one needs to protect himself against. In addition, the sun in a dream can relate to emotional intensity because it's linked with hot colors.

Trees are a metaphor for the individual. In dreams, what happens to the tree mirrors what's going on with the dreamer and dear to him. For instance, people can dream of trees being chopped down shortly after they've lost loved ones. If a tree is being drained of its life, a child may feel some part of himself isn't functioning properly or something in his life isn't going well. In addition, the tree can represent our energy levels and a higher sense of self, because while it's roots connect it to the Earth, it's branches extend outward and upward, and so what grows from them or doesn't thrive off of them reflects the dreamer's mood and what's happening in his world. For example, are lots of green leaves growing? Are they changing colors? Or are the leaves turning brown, shriveling, and falling off? Changes to the dream tree can also point to physical injuries or ailments. For instance, if icicles are hanging from the dream tree's branches, perhaps there's something wrong with the circulation in the dreamer's fingers.