The importance of imaginative play

Imaginative play is important for many reasons: it helps children make sense of things that they have seen or experienced. It supports the development of creativity and intellectual capabilities and gives children opportunities to practise decision-making and social skills such as sharing and collaborating. We at kINDERSPIEL have such a wide range of items that foster imaginative play because we strongly believe it is essential and important to a child’s development. 

Imaginative play fosters independence & creativity

- helps children to find out how to think for themselves

- helps children understand another point of view 

Imaginative play supports social and emotional development

- as children pretend to be different people or control objects, they are practicing social and emotional roles of life

- they learn how to walk in someone else's shoes - often mum or dad or a sibling

- they develop self-esteem and self-awareness

- they learn how to recognise and respond to the feelings of others when played in a group

- gives them control and can help decrease anxiety as language becomes more familiar

- they must communicate their thoughts to others – an essential social skill

Develops thinking, learning, and problem-solving abilities:

- by the nature of pretend play, children are presented with problems and scenarios to solve

- how to cope/ change when something doesn’t go according to plan

- abstract thinking – when an object/person takes a different path

Enhances physical development:

- e.g. being an aeroplane, climbing ladders as a fire fighter

- fine motor skills developed while feeding and dressing a doll

- learning about rough and tumble and limits 

How to encourage pretend play:

- play together face to face so your child can copy your gestures/pretend actions

- follow your child’s lead and play with things your child is interested in

- keep it simple: repetition is fun for any child

- take turns: the play becomes a “conversation"

- choose the right toys that you know your child will engage with

Enjoy browsing our selection of pretend play toys