1 / 12

Cultivating Kids' Imagination through Pretend Play

Learn how pretend play fosters social skills, creativity, and cognitive development in children. Understand the stages and benefits of pretend play, along with caregiver techniques and managing superhero play. Encourage your child's imagination today!

heed
Download Presentation

Cultivating Kids' Imagination through Pretend Play

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Let’s Pretend: Encouraging Kids’ Imagination Karen Lynn Poff, C.F.C.S. Senior Extension Agent, Family and Human Development Virginia Cooperative Extension

  2. What is Pretend Play? • Imitative role play • Make-believe with objects • Make-believe with actions and situations • Interaction • Verbal communication • Persistence

  3. Benefits of Pretend Play • Social Skills • Language Skills • Emotional Development • Self-Esteem • Sensitivity • Creativity • Problem-Solving • Cognitive Development

  4. Pretend Play~Twos • Copy familiar routines • Repeat the action over and over • Use more actions than words • Are very serious about play

  5. Pretend Play~Threes • Begin to plan for pretending • Give more importance to props/costumes • Use more language in play • Begin to pretend with peers for short periods • Prefer familiar roles • Begin to use feelings and personalities

  6. Pretend Play~Fours and Fives • Begin to be very creative in play • Use elaborate props and costumes • Pretend together in groups • Enjoy adventure themes • Create more sophisticated plots • Can usually distinguish between “real” & “pretend”

  7. The Caregiver’s Role • Provide a place for pretend play • Provide props and costumes • Introduce a play theme through a story • Ask questions to facilitate or extend play

  8. The Caregiver’s Role • Assist in problem-solving, if needed • Support both boys and girls in exploring non-traditional roles • Encourage involvement of children with special needs • Allow plenty of time for play (at least 30 minutes at a time)

  9. Techniques for Promoting Pretend Play • Comment on what the child is doing • Imitate the child’s actions • Reinforce the child’s symbolic play • Make indirect suggestions • Make direct suggestions • Model symbolic-play behaviors

  10. Ideas for Managing Superhero Play • Help children recognize humane characteristics of superheroes • Discuss real heroes and heroines • Limit the place/time for superhero play

  11. Ideas for Managing Superhero Play • Explore related concepts • Help children develop goals for superheroes • Make it clear that aggression is not OK • Support children who want to stop/escape

  12. Ideas to Encourage Pretend Play

More Related