Positive Parenting: The way of pretend play

by Kelsey Rasmussen

“Bum feels sad,” my daughter tells me about her dearest stuffed animal, which she holds tenderly in her arms.

“Why does Bum feel sad,” I ask.

“Her miss her mommy,” she explains.

I know she’s telling me something important, and it might not be about her furry friend. I seize this opportunity to understand what she’s saying.

Kneeling down to her eye level, I ask, “Do you ever feel that way?”

“Yeah,” she says.

I wrap my arms around her and tell her I miss her whenever I’m away, too. I give her my undivided attention as we read a book together and feel grateful for this moment of connection.

Pretend play, or make believe, is very important for children’s development. Rather than being silly, “The Importance of Pretend Play” article in Scholastic Parents explains, “Your child is using an object to represent something else while giving it action and motion. But this pretend play is not as simple as it may seem. The process of pretending builds skills in many essential developmental areas.”

The article goes on to explain how pretending builds language skills, social and emotional skills, and thinking skills. By telling me her stuffed animal felt sad, my daughter practiced communicating and expressing her own feelings and needs and demonstrated empathy for her dear friend.

Activity Highlight:

Nurture pretend play by providing your children with a prop box containing random household items you have available. Anything goes! Fill the box with empty food packaging, clothes and accessories, telephones, magazines, cooking utensils and dishes, stackable cups, fabric to make a fort, costumes, etc. In our playgroup, costumes are a favorite year-round.  Take advantage of those after-Halloween sales to stock up. Bonus: Collect group items focused around a theme, like camping or cooking.

Nurture pretend play by providing your children with a prop box containing all sorts of items. Costumes can be a favorite year-round. Photo credit: Kelsey Rasmussen

Source:
“The Importance of Pretend Play” at scholastic.com

Kelsey Rasmussen is a local resident and full-time parent of preschool aged twins.