The Power of Pretend

Many people often think of play in the form of images of young children at recess engaging in games of tag, ball, using slides, swings, and physically exploring their environments. But physical play is not the only kind of play. We often use the terms pretend play or make-believe play, that reflect a critical feature of the child’s cognitive and social development.  Pretend play allows the expression of both positive and negative feelings. The children can take on and try out roles from familiar family scenes, local community experiences and imaginative fantasies.

You can help at home by participating with you child in their imaginative play. While playing, be sure to ask open ended questions to aid their imaginative narrative. Open ended questions elicit more than just a one-word answer. Be silly and have fun pretending!