Get the benefits of imaginative play for your children
- caroline59405
- Aug 13
- 1 min read
What are the benefits of imaginative play?
It fosters creativity by providing a safe space for children to act out scenarios of their choosing, including situations that they may not be able to experience in real life. For example, a 5-year-old who cannot travel, can create a pretend pirate ship and sail to exciting places in their imagination. Sharing these games with friends helps them to practice and develop their language and social skills and to develop problem-solving and self-regulation skills. Imaginative play with peers can create situations in which not everyone gets what they want. For example, when more than one child wants to be the ship’s Captain, there will be a process of negotiation and the child who does not get what they want will have to learn how to manage unpleasant emotions for play to continue.
The benefits of Imaginative play are that it creates opportunities for trying out new ideas, new ways of thinking and problem solving in a safe environment.
Tips to encourage imaginative play
Provide plenty of props:
Dress up clothes and props
People to play with – peers and adults
Space to play
Give plenty of playtime
Let your child have as much time as possible to explore where their imagination takes them.
Combine imaginative play with healthy, physical outdoor play - Install a jungle gym!
Choose a play system with many entry and exit points and that does not prescribe a route across it. Include poles, ramps, ropes, swings, bridges, platforms, towers and swings as props for the imagination.
OR
Choose a themed Play system to get their imaginations started
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