We live in times where parents are constantly looking to keep their children productively engaged in activities. And that's great! But are we taking simplicity and plain old pretend play for granted? Children love using miniature toys that represent adult sized objects. This helps them make sense of the adult world. They build a safe space of imagination and are immensely happy having control of this world. The benefits of Pretend Play are several, here are a few highlights.
Language
When a child pretends to be a Chef, Race Car Driver or Doctor, it's likely that they will be motivated to learn words, practice vocabulary and act in a manner in which the professionals do. Modeling adults comes naturally to children. Giving children the exposure to various professions, using rich vocabulary in context, reading books, visiting places and offering them pretend play material is sure to help develop children's oral language skills.
Creativity
Children are powerless in an adult world. They are told what to do, what to eat, what's good for them etc. During pretend play, children get to construct a plot and call the shots. Have you never noticed how elaborate and detailed some of their ideas are? How empowered they feel being in control of their imaginary world? The possibilities are endless in Pretend Play and it encourages our children to feel power and dream big.
Social Skills
When children enter the stage of Collaborative Play, they allocate characters while pretend playing. When conflicts arise during play, they talk to each other or an imaginary friend. These conversations equip them to handle real life situations.
Logical Thinking and Problem Solving
During Play children often meet with disagreement, they encounter tough scenarios and use reason to resolve conflicts. For example: A child playing a bus conductor has to handle a scenario where another child pretends to be a passenger without any money. These playful scenarios give opportunities for trial and error and put children's logical thinking and problem solving ability into work.
Wellbeing
Pretend play is a massive stress buster for children where they escape into a world of dreams and possibilities. A world where they nurture abstract thoughts and bizzare concepts. Playing with toys decreases anxiety in children and calms them.
Encourage Pretend Play in Children. Explore the House of Zizi Pretend Play Collection here.