
Why is Pretend Play Important for Your Child
Pretend play is a vital stepping stone in your child’s development. Pretend play is how your child learns about our adult world. It usually develops around 2 years of age and helps to build the following skills:
- Imagination/creativity: children can be anyone and do anything in their pretend world.
- Social skills: turn taking, negotiation, compromising and sharing with others.
- Communication/language skills: Listening and talking with other people and developing an understanding of what is being communicated through our non verbal skills such as looking, smiling, nodding and waving.
- Emotional development: Understanding and expressing feelings through the play.
What games can help improve pretend play skills?
- Tea sets– taking turns, sharing cakes and cups
- Doll houses– role play your daily routines such as bathing, dinner.
- Shopping trolley and cash registers– practice shopping and taking turns at being shopkeeper
- Dress ups– princess, dragons, robots, dinosaurs, policeman and nurses
- Use the phone and call for a pizza or a doctor
- Cubby houses– play house together