5 Things Kids Get from Pretend Play
I love watching kids participate in pretend play activities. You get such a window into the way they see the world (and some good laughs). Pretend play isn’t just fun and games though. It teaches kids some important developmental skills.
My daughter is a free spirit. It has been so fun watching her play evolve over time and see how different it is from the way my boys played. My daughter definitely spends a lot more time prancing around in princess dresses than my boys did but they have all loved pretend play . . . even if the way they play has looked a bit different.
Language Skills – Have you noticed how much kids talk when they are participating in pretend play? My daughter talks to her dolls, her friends when they are playing with her, and herself. She has entire conversations as she plays, which may not seem like much but that’s helping her develop essential language skills.
Life Skills – Kids love to mimic what they see adults do and pretend play is the perfect chance to do that. When I watch my daughter play with her toy kitchen I’ve seen some of my own mannerisms reflected in her behavior. I’ve seen her wash dishes, set her little table, and teach her dolls some of the things that I’ve worked to teach her.
Stress-Management – Kids react to stress differently than adults do. Pretend play can help them sort out their emotions and learn how to understand things that are going on in their life. My daughter had a traumatic event last year that nearly took her life. Saying that was stressful for all of us is the understatement of the year. I’ve watched her heal through play, first as a way to forget the events surrounding her accident and then as a way to cope with the emotions from it.
Self-Expression – Kids can really take charge when they play and that really allows them to express their own personality. At an age where it’s so important for them to discover who they are as a person, this is a huge benefit to them.
Problem Solving Skills – It’s so fun to watch kids work to solve problems that come up while they are playing. The other day my daughter couldn’t figure out how to “cook” two things at once that she wanted to make in her toy kitchen. I watched her think about it for a minute then go “I know! I could make them one at a time!” It sounds like such simple concept but those kind of problems so up all the time in real life and if kids can learn to solve those problems when the stakes are low, they’ll be much better equipped to solve problems when the stakes are higher.
How do you encourage pretend play activities in your home?
You may also like:
