The need for pretend play in child development
I still remember the time in my childhood where some days I pretended to be a writer and there were also days when I pretended to be an actor or a presenter. I am sure that all of you would agree with me that childhood is the best time since we can be everything we want. It was the time when we were all so naive, not a care in the world.
Childhood has taken me down memory lane where I can still recall the times when whenever I went shopping with my mom, she would always insist that I buy kitchen sets so that at night I could have my own tea parties. luxurious with my friends. Whereas if I talk about the guys around me (usually my cousins or friends) they always loved to play their favorite superhero by just putting their hands on the towel and tying it behind their back like a cape and pretending to save the world.
Little did I know that the role played during those times would play such a big part in helping me choose my career prospect (ie a content writer). All these plays helped me a lot to know my interest, I can say that since childhood I was inclined towards writing, be it poetry or essay.
Therefore, pretend play helps not only to shape an individual’s personality, but also helps to develop other skills that I will discuss later in this article.
Without further ado, let’s discuss them one by one.
Social-emotional skills
While you think your child is playing and pretending to be someone else, that is the time when your little one is experimenting with various social-emotional roles in life. When children play in a group, for example, while one person plays the role of a doctor in the group, the other friends choose different roles of patient, nurse and others. It is through this cooperative simulation game that children will not only mature, but also improve their self-confidence, self-awareness, and self-control. There are other games like cricket, basketball, etc., where children learn that it’s okay to lose and be happy if the other team wins, and sometimes it’s okay to give someone else’s turn. It is through these games that little ones learn to engage while interacting socially. In addition, through these games, intentionally or not, they improve their socio-emotional skills and learn to be a responsible person, as well as learn empathy.
Communication skills
Have you ever caught your baby chatting with his stuffed toy or pretending to be on a phone call with his friend? If yes, then you’ve probably heard them imitating you or using the phrases you must hear for the first time or you thought they never knew. Talking on the phone or with friends requires the ability to create scenarios, as well as the ability to narrate them in a similar way to how they heard it. In doing so, they tend to repeat the same thing over and over again during the narration, and whenever they find themselves mis-speaking, they correct themselves, which helps them develop their grammar and speaking skills.
The fantasy game is the one that allows your child to understand the language by recreating a story, this is how he learns the words, their pronunciation and understands their meaning.
Cognitive habilyties
The make-believe game is the only game in which there are many opportunities for children to think outside the box and expand their cognitive abilities. Whenever they plan a role play, a lot of smiling mind is required to choose and finalize the role they want to play that day. Role playing is the time when children recreate scenes from the past that they have seen on television or experienced in the past.
Let me cite an example here, when I was a child, whenever I was preparing for the pretend tea party at home, I used to decorate the table with the plastic kitchen set with all enthusiasm. Then after doing that, I would take a beautiful duppatta from my mom’s wardrobe and wrap myself like a sari and then without her knowing, I would wear her lipstick and imitate her actions, words and laughter with my friends at the birthday party. tea. .
overall development
In addition to the psychological, linguistic, and socio-emotional benefits, pretend play also supports children’s physical development. When children try to pretend to be a doctor, an engineer, a gymnast, an athlete, a dancer, an officer chasing robbers or imitate sitting on a horse and galloping through the fields, all these activities involve being physically active, work with your hands. eye coordination and other skills. While doing all this, the children may fall, scratch themselves a little, but don’t worry, this will only make them stronger and give them an idea of what to do and what not to do. Also, all these sports will not only be enjoyed by children, but will also help in overall development without even realizing it.
last word
Pretend play is the only game that keeps your little one curious and gives him the courage to become anyone he has ever seen or pretended to be. The fantasy game contributes to enhance the imagination of the little ones and allows them to bring to light their most intimate desires and fantasies. Therefore, help in the development of children at various levels, whether imaginative, socio-emotional, cognitive or we can say in the comprehensive development of the little ones.
