Let’s Talk About Pretend Play!

Okay, before we start, how about a trip down memory lane? Do you remember when, while playing as little kids, how we’ve all gone from “Whooosh, I’m a Pilot!” with a toy plane in our hand, to turning into a teacher on other days and signing in our rough books? That precisely, is Pretend Play!

Pretend play, or imaginative play is a loosely structured form of play, where your child takes up different roles and professions and pretends to be them, all while making a fun play-time out of it.

But, ever wondered what your child gets out of this? They are enhancing skills needed for healthy development! It helps their imagination, and storytelling skills, all while keeping them entertained! Read on to learn some super cool benefits, of this rather popular form of play.

1. It helps kids express their thoughts - Pretend play helps kids put forth their ideas & opinions through storytelling, thus building their vocabulary of descriptive words. They imagine themselves as characters of the story thus creating a world of excitement & fun! Finding new ways to use their toys to fit in their story, thus sparking creativity.

2. They develop important social skills - Kids learn teamwork and cooperation and understand that they cannot play the same character everytime i.e. they can't always get what they want. Kids learn to lead & to follow when one of them is driving the whole story plan & others are gladly following & enjoying. It also incorporates important values , like taking turns and sharing while playing with their siblings or friends.

3. Problem solving skills - Organizing toys in specific ways to fit their imaginary world of pretend play teaches kids to use thinking and problem solving skills as well. They also tend to come up with solutions and replacements to things not readily available to them.

4. Find comfort in their own company - Kids learn how to entertain themselves which leads to them being more independent individuals. Playing also helps children find out their likes and dislikes and teaches them how to make choices.

5. More informed about their surroundings - Engaging in role-playing, helps kids learn and develop important life skills. They get to understand at a deeper level, the different occupations out there and how they all work. It also helps remove pre-conceived fears about certain professionals like doctors and dentists, because they have now experienced being in their shoes!

So let your kid build their own imaginative worlds, all you need to do is provide an ear & be a part of it!