Why Encourage Pretend Play?
There are many reasons why parents and caregivers should consider encouraging their child's pretend play skills:
There are many reasons why parents and caregivers should consider encouraging their child's pretend play skills:
- Your child will gain practice with using symbols. This strengthens the foundation for your child's pretend skills and language skills.
- Pretend play is an excellent way to expose your child to new vocabulary that he may not be exposed to in everyday life, such as "pirate", "sword", "rescue", "castle", or "fairy".
- When you pretend with your child, you will help him learn to play with others. Eventually, your child will start to pretend with other children, where he will learn to take turns and collaborate.
- When children take on a pretend role, they imagine what it is like to be another person. This helps develop their ability to take others' perspectives and develop empathy.
- Pretend play is fun! When you play like a child and let your imagination lead, you and your child will never run out of things to play with or talk about!