How to Play Pretend Games With a Child
Playing pretend is a vital part of your child's development. It lets her practice problem solving, try out new roles and learn about social situations in a safe environment. If you participate in your child's pretend play, you have the opportunity to introduce new ideas and concepts while modeling behavior. You also have an opportunity to learn how your child thinks while having fun.
Things You'll Need
- Pots
- Pans
- Old telephone
- Child-size tools
- Paper
- Pencil
- 3-inch-by-5-inch cards
- Doll tea set
- Box of costume clothing
Instructions
Provide assorted costumes and props to jump-start imaginative play. These can range from old pots and pans to clothing selections from your local thrift store. Include dress-up clothes that are both masculine and feminine. Add a child-size broom, dustpan, rake, hoe, construction kit or similar items. Save small cardboard food containers, or purchase plastic toy food. Non-working electronics such as old keyboards, cellphones or other items such as alarm clocks can add an element of realism for your child. Listen to your child. If your child is engaged in imaginative play, be careful not to break the reality of her world. Ask if you can play, then introduce yourself as a character in her scenario. Treat the play seriously; don't make a joke of it. Be prepared to be younger than your child or to play a series of adult roles in her world. Use moderation if she casts you as a naughty child or a bad guy. Introduce learning concepts in the context of her play. For example, if you are a sales clerk where she is pretend shopping, use good service manners. Conversations on a play telephone are an opportunity to model good telephone etiquette. Keep the ideas age-appropriate. With a young child, you might take on the role of being Grandma, but with an older child you might pretend to be a store owner looking for a new worker. If you are pretending to be a teenage child, you could pretend to model undesirable behavior, such as tying up the phone line when it is needed. Let your child lead, and remember that having fun is the main goal.
