How in the world do I play “imaginative play” with my child? This is the infamous question that every parent wants to know. They give me every excuse in the book about why they are “bad” at it, and how they are not the “creative” type. Honestly, none of those things matter. Your child will love you regardless of how “good” or “not good” you are at make pretend. They might even be able to teach you a thing or two about it, which would give them immense pleasure!
Some of the most important tips for playing “imaginative” play are listed below.
- Loosen up. This isn’t an audition for a Broadway musical or a meeting to solve world hunger, this is PLAY. Go with the flow. Be flexible. Follow your child’s lead.
- Feeling lost about what to “pretend” about? Think about your day, stories you’ve read, movies you’ve watched, memories you have of your life. These are all PRIME story plots for you to reenact. Pretend to bake a cake, go to a birthday party, or even take a “nap”, these activities all help your child to use their speech/language, and imagination.
- What will we use? Anything! You can use dress up, little people, farm animals, kitchen sets, or even real life house objects for different purposes. There are no rules to follow in imaginative play.
- What if I don’t know what to say? Make your character/person/object say something. Start with basic social interactions such as “Hi! What’s your name”. This helps your child practice real life conversational skills they will need at school, playground, and at the grocery store!
- Stuck on how to move the plot along? Change the location, add some sort of “conflict” or “problem”. These are events that help your child move and advance their story lines, and can be challenging for your child to do without out. Help them out by giving a “gasp” and allowing them to make a guess about what’s wrong, or invite them to “go” with you to another location.
Lastly, here are a few of my favorite “Imaginative Play” sets/toys.
- Little People
- Farm and Animals
- Babies
- Trucks/Cars
- Dress Up
- Kitchen
- Doctor
- Tea Party
- Super heroes
- Legos
-Kasey-
