Why is make believe play important

Cognitive Development. Free unstructured pretend play is vital for children to develop problem-solving and reasoning skills.

Dramatic play encourages children to use their imagination by acting out scenes they are familiar with. This ability to think symbolically and creatively is the precursor to all future literacy and math skills.

There are a variety of ways that you can promote pretend play at home. Effective toys: Provide simple, realistic toys for children to interact with. Play kitchens, dolls, tool benches, shopping carts with pretend food, costumes such as doctor scrubs, firefighter and police officer uniforms, mail carrier, restaurant server, and pilot uniforms , and cardboard boxes will encourage rich dramatic play. Expressing through puppets: Provide dolls and puppets for your child.

These toys allow the children to explore and express their own feelings. Create a box of props: These boxes contain themed materials. For example, you may have a veterinarian prop box that contains a lab coat, stuffed animals, stethoscope, bandages, and any other props you may have that could be found in a veterinary office.

Costumes: Allow your child to experiment with different costumes and avoid over-emphasizing gender roles. Take your time: Perhaps most important, make sure you spend time interacting with your child. While independent play is important, there is no substitute for the knowledge a child gains from interacting with mom or dad.

It is a really fun activity that teaches children to collaborate with others. Letting their imaginations lead playtime allows for endless possibilities and directions that games can take. Make-believe play develops as your child grows older - simple things like pretending to eat themselves or feeding their dolls age years , to more complex pretenses like going shopping age 3 or role-playing as superheroes age Children need to be encouraged and parents need to actively participate.

However, if your five-year-old is unable to distinguish between the two, then there may be cause of concern that requires the assistance of a qualified medical care professional. Our guide outlines the facts based on research from several online and offline resources.

Weitzman, E. Greenberg, J. Some researchers in early brain development believe that this sort of play helps develop the part of the brain the frontal lobe that regulates behavior. So instead of worrying that this type of activity will encourage him to act out or become too aggressive, be assured that within a monitored situation , roughhouse play can actually help your child learn the self-regulation skills needed to know how and when this type of play is appropriate.

Nurturing the Imagination Not enough pretend play at your house? Consider creating a prop box or corner filled with objects to spark your preschooler's fantasy world. You might include:. Parents Store Cart. School Success. The Scholastic Store.

Book Clubs. Book Fairs. Shop Pretend Play Activities. Raise a reader by getting the best book recommendations, reading tips, and discounts delivered straight to your inbox. Preschool View Sample.