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