Come On Over, Play Pretend With Me!

Pretend play with children enhances their brain development. Connections are being made as they relate what they have seen in real life to their make-believe play. As they imitate adult roles, they develop problem-solving skills. They also enhance self-expression, and expand improve their creativity.

Playing different roles also gives children a sense of power—and for somebody as young as three years old, power is something endlessly fascinating. To some degree, play is every child’s work. It is through this that they learn new skill sets and develop their senses. Through play, they also learn to think in an abstract way.

One of my fondest memories as a child was pretending to own a restaurant and preparing food for my so-called customers. I would take a blank sheet of paper folded in half as a menu, which I would hand to my customer. I would then take their orders using my mother’s notepad. And then I would prepare their orders, pretending all the while to mix, pour, and bake as my customers waited. After serving them, I would always hand them a scribbled bill and get giddy every time I receive the payment.

My own children are fond of this game as well, but now their dishes have become more elaborate and they actually have a complete play kitchen set to work around with. But the concept remains the same: we were all talking on adult roles, learning cognitively and building our self-confidence in the process.

How about you, what kinds of pretend play do your children like? Is it a beauty shop, a flower shop, a church, a movie theater, an airplane, a grocery store, or a pet shop? The list can go on and on! Play along with your kids and join in the fun! While you’re at it, help them with their basic learning skills too: teach them to converse in social situations, coach them how to slice and pour and mix properly, and teach them to smile and greet their customers welcome and goodbye. Make simple requests and teach them how to respond accordingly, and don’t forget to correct mistakes ever so subtly! Go with the flow, relax and enjoy the thrill of going back to being a child again!