All of this input does help.
I will track the patterns, but it pretty much occurs when she is not actively engaged in something I've required her to do. She does turn down most "non essential" activities in favor of "walking her circle".
We're starting a writing class this week (I'm teaching a group of middle graders), so I'll nudge for some day dream incorporation from her.
Projects haven't worked because she is sloppy and quick so she can get back to her day dreaming. It was a huge problem with 4H this year, actually.
Maybe we have crossed the line into something "maladaptive".
She does get quite a bit of physical activity (swim team, hiking, etc), but literally mountain climbing (on vacation) is the only one we noticed a decrease in the day dreaming, although it still occurred if we had an hour of downtime at the campground in the evening.
She was very sensory seeking as an infant and literally always needed to move. She still is, but it's more face touching, scab picking, fingernail chewing-type stuff. I wonder if it would be worse without the swinging/ daydream walking.
Museums (art and science) seem to give her enough mental stimulation to distract her for a day or two.
She's done well with drama classes (actually was in a commercial recently), but as an ongoing thing it won't work with our schedule. She's been invited to audition by two different directors, but our local youth theater group is 60 miles away and productions require attending rehearsals four days per week for 6 weeks at a time.
