Q
Can you tell my husband and me exactly what imaginative play is? Are there benefits of this type of play? If so, what is our role as parents, to encourage imaginative play for our 4-year-old daughter Kara?
A
Imaginative play also called pretend play or make-believe play involves kids acting out scenarios. It can be done alone or with others. Examples include pretending to cook or have a tea party, taking care of dolls, as if they were babies, playing doctor, talking on a toy phone, playing soldiers or dinosaurs, and many more pretend scenarios. One child I know pretends her dolls are her sisters and she takes good care of them. Some older children engage in imaginative play with puppets.
Most adults can remember engaging in imaginative play. Some had paper dolls or toy soldiers. My mother helped me to make furniture out of paper for the paper dolls and to make paper dolls instead of buying them. Some people had plastic furniture for their paper dolls and purchased books of paper doll cutouts.
One benefit is helping kids learn to manage their emotions. Other benefits include encouraging kids to feel more confident and independent.
Practicing social skills and life skills are other benefits. It helps children develop language skills.
Parents can encourage imaginative play by providing props such as toy cooking utensils, toy kitchen furniture, baby dolls, doll clothing, doll baby carriage, toy cars, soldiers, Legos, and clothing for dress up such as an old fur coat, jewelry, and hats.
Have fun playing with your daughter, enjoy the special moments for your daughter’s imaginative play, and observe her creativity along the way. Children grow up so fast; enjoy them at every age.
Betty Richardson, PhD, RN, CS, LPC, LMFT, is an Austin-based psychotherapist.
