The world we live in, as adults, gives us a very necessary structure by which to form our careers, schedules and commitments. This can, however, stifle our imagination and creativity. I remember, as a child, putting up tents in the living room. Chairs became trains and covered wagon seats. Playing pretend was a favourite time of mine. There seemed to be no end to the possibilities.
When my own children started playing pretend, I began to see just how valuable it was. It really is a multifaceted learning tool. Some of their first play began by imitating the world around them. Often, it was with situations they saw taking place around them that they were not able to take part in. Maybe they couldn't participate because they were too little, were unsure of what was expected, or it wasn't safe for them to be involved. Copying adult actions taught them how things should be done and why. It gave them anchors to begin to use logic to answer some of their own whys. For example, one of the first pretend play situations my children acted out was a tea party. Sometimes they would pour tea, and serve cream and sugar and cookies for hours. My daughter would hold the teapot lid as she poured "air" tea into the cups, just as she had seen me often do with my teapot. When I noticed her do this and asked her why she held it, she didn't know. She tried to pour without holding the lid on and it fell off. She let out a big Oh! and said, "Mommy! You hold the lid on so it doesn't fall off." as if she had made the discovery herself. Actually, I guess she did. From that moment on whenever her siblings played tea party or were "cooking" she showed great pride in instructing them to hold the lid down so that it wouldn't fall off. This incident in itself was a small one but it became a catalyst for deeper reasoning and application (which I am sure was happening all along, it was just here that I began to truly understand the value of play).
As children imitate the world around them, they grow in understanding. They become more aware of what behaviour and actions are expected of them. Through practicing this in play, children become more comfortable with them in real life. Role play is great for this. When a child has played the Mommy, she begins to understand the motives behind the actions of a Mommy. Watching first gives children the concepts for behaviour and application through role play brings it to life and adds understanding. Things in their world begin to make sense.
Acting out career occupations gives children a great opportunity to imitate what they believe is experienced. It gives the children a greater understanding and respect for people with different roles in their community. Not to mention, getting all dressed up and pretending to be someone else can sure be a lot of fun for both parent and child. With imaginations active, the ideas that are produced, coming from a child's perspective and limited experience, are truly inspiring. And again, one of the most important parts of play is to let our children lead. We have a few more years experience on them but are in a habit of allowing ourselves to play in accordance with what we have already experienced and know to be true. In doing this, we don't give our imaginations the freedom to fully explore other opportunities. It is important to fully participate in play with our children but not to take over. It is O.K. to paddle to China in a rubber dingy or ride or eat ice cream for breakfast in tea cups when we play. We can have hours of enjoyment when our imagination takes flight.
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