Do you often inhibit your kids from pretend play? Well, you should not, as imaginative play is quite important for your child’s development. Parents are often left wondering if pretend play is good for their little ones. Here are some of the ways your kids benefit from a round of imaginative play.
1. Encourages Imagination and Creativity
Pretend play helps in cognitive flexibility and creativity among kids. It allows the kids to hone their imagination skills, training their brains to think creatively and above all, learning how to think for themselves.
So next time you see your kids catching a pretend monster or stirring an empty pot to bake a pretend cake, let them do it. They are improving their cognitive thinking skills to use in every aspect of their life, now and in the future.
2. Helps in Social and Emotional Development
When children engage in pretend play, they don various hats, playing different characters and empathizing with their emotions, controlling the entire plot to see their desired results. This essentially engages their personal, emotional and social development, which is crucial for a kid’s holistic development.
For instance, while playing a pretend character, they are “walking in someone else’s shoes,” which helps in developing empathy. With imaginative play, they not only see the world from their point of view, but begin to try to understand the feelings and emotions of others as well. In addition to that, it even helps with building self-esteem and confidence, as they can be anything in the world, whether it be a princess or a superhero.
3. Improves Language and Communication
Have you ever heard your child interacting with their pretend characters? They tend to surprise us with words and phrases that we had no idea our kids could know. Take some time to sit and observe and they will surely amuse you with the impersonations of their teachers, friends and other people with whom they interact daily. Pretend play helps the kids understand the power of language and how it affects everyone around them. Moreover, it also helps with their articulation, as they learn ways to put their point across to be heard and understood.
4. Makes Kids Independent
Pretend play can foster independence as well. It gives kids the freedom to make decisions, take risks and use imagination to find solutions, helping them to develop independence and confidence. For instance, to save the world from pretend enemies, kids have to think of some superpowers, shields, costumes, etc. to be the superhero that saves the day. Additionally, they will have to independently come up with ideas to defeat the enemies.
5. Promotes Physical Development
More often than not, pretend play involved physical activities like climbing up and down the stairs, chasing the bad guys, jumping on the sofas to cross the river, flying airplanes, climbing trees to rescue cats, etc. This keeps your kid active and helps in developing their motor skills.
So next time you see your child playing pretend, let them enjoy their imaginative play. Additionally, it is a great way to encourage more physical activity, keeping your little ones away from their devices.
