Do you ever see a child out in public wearing a costume or an outfit that was clearly picked out by the child? I have to say before I was a parent I didn’t understand this…I thought this was ridiculous and that costumes should just be for playing at home! But you need to encourage your child’s imaginative play.
Since I’ve become a parent I have changed so many perspectives and ideas I thought before. Yes, I admit I have done so many things while parenting that I said I would NEVER do! I now love when my daughter wears costumes out to the grocery store, park and running errands to name a few. Now I do have some rules where she can’t wear them, probably pretty obvious right?
As a former teacher I have found that imaginative play is very important. A child is using real-life skills that you might not realize.
Imaginative Play can build real-life skills:
- Creative Thinking
- Visualizing
- Problem-Solving
- Creativity
With some children imaginative play comes easy, while others need encouragement. We as parents need to encourage our children to use imagination in many aspects of life. Imagination opens a door of possibilities and creativity which in part expands their mind to new things. It truly is a gift given to all of us. It is up to us to not hinder this, but to support & nurture their imagination through play.
How to Encourage Your Child’s Imaginative Play
- Schedule free play
- Limit Screen Time
- Play with them-show them how to pretend
- Give them items from around the house- old shoes, blankets, boxes
- Let them think out-of-the-box-don’t put restrictions on their ideas
- Let them play in a different room than the usual
Great ideas for imaginative play! I have done soooo many things I said I would never do as a parent!
Thank you! And yes, too many to count!
This is quite thoughtful. Thank you!
Thank you!
I am all about encouraging imaginative play. We went out to dinner last night with my son dress as Thor. I am right there with you!
Love this! You are doing a great job!
Great ideas. I really like open ended toys as well. It’s a great way to let your kids learn and build critical thinking skills.
You are exactly right! It’s a wonderful way for a child to expand their mind.
We limit screen time a lot but I love the idea of scheduling imaginative play!
That’s wonderful to hear! Thanks!