Children enjoy playing make-believe.
Childhood is a time for developing imaginations. During the early years, parents and caregivers can support children's natural love of drama and imaginative play. Supply the children with plenty of garments and items to help them realize their play worlds. Supporting the child's drama and imaginative play lays the groundwork for healthy development and learning.
Instructions
1. Provide young children with costumes and clothes they can play in. Ask the children about their favorite cartoon characters and imaginary characters and help them find outfits. Find princess dresses at discount and thrift stores, which also offer animal costumes such as lions and tigers, and character costumes such as Harry Potter. During these early years, children can play make-believe with cast-off or hand-me-down clothes. Encourage children to use their imaginations to create their own clothing designs.
2. Stock the child's room with toys and props. The main priority is safety and age-appropriate items. Give the child opportunities to create imaginary worlds with blocks, stuffed animals, and various toys. Offer household items such as empty cardboard oatmeal containers the child can use for drums, building blocks and castle walls. Assist the child in building or creating the play-acting by making suggestions to enhance the play, or let the child play without interruption.
3. Ask the child's ideas about the setting of their imaginative play. Indoors, children can use couches and chairs as boats, cars, coaches or spaceships. Use blankets and quilts draped across sturdy chairs for a playhouse. Add pillows and more blankets inside to help the child imagine details. For imaginary play outside, set children's plastic tables and chairs with tea sets. Use pie tins and measuring cups and spoons for playing cook. In the yard and under the shade of trees, children can imagine a world of fairies, elves, talking animals and other magical creatures such as dragons.
