Like most kids her age, my daughter is engrossed in imaginary play. She loves to invent characters and act out scenarios in her dollhouse and her Lego blocks. The current characters have rather creative names like Tuna and Alukia. I’m rather partial to Tuna.
We’ve talked about why down time is important for preschoolers. Having some time to relax and reflect is good for all of us. Yes, preschoolers are a busy bunch, and even if you schedule down time, they won’t generally go and sit on the couch. If you give them the option (and turn off the television), they will likely start playing actively with their dolls, their building toys, their dress up clothes, and the like. This time for imaginary play is actually not down time for a preschooler. They might look like they’re just pretending, but they’re actually very busy growing their brains.
Why is time for imaginary play important for preschoolers? There are a number of reasons. Imaginary play allows a preschooler to work things out. It’s an essential part of becoming a social human being. As adults, we talk social scenarios out with other adults or we play and replay them in our heads. As children, we create imaginary games to figure out social situations. That’s why there’s so much family play and rough and tumble play – our children are figuring out how things work in families and where the boundaries lie in rough and tumble play.
Imaginary play lets your preschooler become the master of his own universe. It can be hard to be smaller than most of the people in your world and less capable at physical things. When you’re a preschooler, you want to be competent, but sometimes you’re less than proficient at the tasks that you try. Imaginary play lets preschoolers rule their own world and be powerful with the imaginary characters they create.
Imaginary play also lets kids practice their verbal skills. Children who might feel shy with other children and adults often talk out their internal monologue as they play. It’s a way to talk socially without being social, and it is good practice.
As a child, I was so wonderfully engaged in my imaginary worlds. They are with me to this day, and I wish the same thing for my daughter. Just like an adult can take refuge in a book, a child can find respite in an imaginary world of his creation, and that time is important to think, to reflect, to practice, and to work things out.
Does your child have enough time for imaginary play?