Encouraging imaginary play

Play is one of the most basic yet most essential components of childhood development. Pretend play is the lens through which children learn about the world; it’s immensely critical to their social, physical, emotional, sensory, and cognitive development. What can we, as parents, do to encourage our kids to play? Easy—just support it!

What that support looks like can take on many forms and much of this depends on your child’s age and current stage of development. As your child’s brain grows, their play becomes more and more complex—think of a toddler compared to a kindergartner. Toddlers will play near each other, but not really with each other. Older children will engage with other kids and play interactive games with rules, compromise, and elaborate storylines.

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