Tag Archives: pretend

Plenty of Pretending

Fantasy play is so important in the development of young minds—but children tend to go in stages. As the parent, you may notice that pretending, make-believe, and fantasy play tends to come and go in stages and phases. Just when you think your seven or eight year old has outgrown pretending, it will reappear in the play of a nine-year-old. Different children have different ways of playing pretend—but it is normal and a key developmental way of learning and processing the world. Some children like to play dress-up and have the dramatic pretend play, while others prefer to do what … Continue reading →

Olivia Saves the Circus, Olivia and the Missing Toy – Ian Falconer

Our precocious little pig is back in two more adventures, “Olivia Saves the Circus,” and “Olivia and the Missing Toy.” Let’s take a look and see what Olivia’s up to now. In “Olivia Saves the Circus,” we find Olivia getting ready for school. First she helps her mother by feeding her brothers. I’m using the term “help” loosely here. Then she gets dressed in a really boring school uniform, which she accessorizes with big red bows and striped tights (tre chic!) Riding her scooter down the street, she gets to school on time to participate in show and tell. Today … Continue reading →

Pretend with Your Child and Improve his Future

Abstract Thinking Just about everything we do in life involves abstract thinking. We use abstract thinking to plan for something in the future, predict consequences, calculate time or distance, and desire something that isn’t right in front of us. “A chocolate shake sounds really good right now.” “This room would look better painted blue.” Or, “If I take Main Street, maybe I’ll get there faster.” For the average child, the transition to abstract thinking (from the real to the imaginary) is automatic. Johnny wears a cape and runs around the house, imagining he can fly. Monica pours water into cups … Continue reading →