Creative Play - Help Your Child To Use Their Imagination

Every small child loves to play. "Playing Pretend", or role playing, can not only be educational, but also one of the cheapest games a child can play. Creative play such as role playing can not only teach your child about the world, but can also teach you a lot about your child.

What Are the Benefits of Role Playing With Your Child?

- Pretending gives children opportunities for mental growth. Children can experiment and explore new ideas and new ways of thinking without pressure, and without the possible failures that accompany “the real world”.

- Pretending builds problem-solving skills. While role playing, they are put into situations that require them to make choices and decisions.

- Pretending can encourage self expression, and helps them cope with their feelings. It is not the adults that determine what goes on during play but the children. They are the directors and script writers. If you're your child is going through a stressful situation, role playing gives them a way to escape and be someone else for a while.

Here are 3 educational game ideas you can do in your home to foster creative play.

1. SHOPPING:
Create a make believe shop such as a grocery store. You can use items found around the house such as tin cans, used cereal boxes, plastic fruits etc. Price the items, make some paper money and don't forget the shopping cart (you could just use a basket or a box)! Decide who gets to shop and who gets to be the shopkeeper. Help your children make a shopping list and then start shopping.

2. DRESS UP:
Great way to recycle some of that stuff in the closet such as hats, coats, scarves, dresses, shirts, shoes and accessories. Children love to experiment with different looks and pretend to be someone else.

3. SET-UP SCHOOL:
Create a schoolroom setting with chairs and desks. Of course someone has to play teacher and someone else has to be the student. You could always recruit dolls to be the other students. Don't forget about the homework bit. You could also create a principal's office and have situations where students get sent there.

You and your child can come up with many more ideas for creative play than just the five mentioned. If there is a certain event about which you would like to tell your child (such as Mommy and Daddy's upcoming split, stranger danger, the new baby, the passing of a pet, etc.), why not use this method? You may learn something you didn't know through your children's self expression, plus you involve them in the problem solving. Above all, your child will treasure the time you spend with him or her.