New parents are often surprised when they notice their young children starting to take a keen interest in cleaning the house. Toddlers and young children often to pick this up as a form of pretend play. It’s just like playing pretend house, taking their pretend dog for a walk or taking care of their imaginary children.
This kind of make believe play is very common in young children and should be encouraged. There is a common misconception that playing make believe or performing imaginary tasks is a sign of loneliness in children. However, according to The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, imaginary play in children is very beneficial to their growth.
Imaginary Friends Can be a Good Thing
This scenario is often seen on TV: a young child with no siblings to play with makes up a make believe friend or a pet because she is lonely. She travels with this imaginary friend, cooks for him and cleans up for him. She won’t make her own bed, but she will make the bed of her imaginary friend.
These fictional scenes are usually followed by ones in which the worried parents try and ease the child out of this “stage” or even consult friends and family for advice. What the fictional characters in movies fail to understand is that this pretend play is important in a child’s development. When a child is performing tasks for an imaginary friend, such as making his bed, she is thinking like a mom or a dad would. The child is creating additional responsibilities for herself without being asked, and she is showing initiative.
What’s Really Going on During Imaginary Play
Each and every bit of creativity a toddler or young child shows is proven to be beneficial for her growth as a human being. For example, consider a child playing with her friends, or even stuffed animals, acting as a family. She is likely to change the way she speaks and acts. She probably starts to sound more like her mom or dad than herself. Children learn by observing and pretend play is a way for them to "practice" what they have seen or learned from other people.
When “playing pretend” children are picking up important life lessons on their own, whether it be pretending to be a school teacher (where they are seeing things from others' point of view) or pretending to be a parent (where they are sharing responsibility), they’re always benefiting from pretend play.
Encouraging Pretend Play
Some parents, especially new parents, may not be sure how to encourage pretend play. The answer is simple. Even better, encouraging imaginary play doesn’t cost much. To encourage this exercise, parents need to provide children with materials they can use to spark their imagination, such as housekeeping toys. Things like a Little Tikes Shopping Cart and a Little Tikes Get Out N Grill are perfect props for toddlers and young children to create a nice barbecue for the whole family, even if it is imaginary.
Of course, there are almost always ways to encourage imaginary play with things already lying around the house. A simple plastic mixing bowl can become a little construction worker’s hard hat. A broom balanced over the arm of the couch can suddenly be a toll-booth entry way.
From sharing responsibility, to showing initiative, there are many benefits created from letting a child fully utilize his or her imagination. Pretend play should be encouraged, not discouraged or worrisome to new parents.
Veronica Davis - Veronica Davis is a full time freelance writer working from home. She fills her days researching, and writing original, quality content. ...
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