For those of you who have managed to invite the little kid back inside your brain, how did you do it?
I always thought artists like Dali did exactly that - looked at things they know about, and considered alternative realities where the known facts aren't in the way of the imagination. Sure it's just a clock, but what could that clock do in another reality? Can time melt, and if it did, how would it look?
Maybe read some children's poetry and stories, and appreciate them for the various qualities that run deeper than the story itself. How do these adult writers express themselves in ways that children enjoy? What is currently blocking you from enjoying it?
Have you ever read books from Terry Pratchett? I think his Discworld series is a masterpiece of word and concept punnery that borders on childrens' imagination.