Children love to play make-believe. Whether they’re pretending to be astronauts, kings and queens, sports stars or just plain grownups, children’s imaginations fire up when they pretend to be someone else. Pretend play isn’t just fun – it’s also a critical component of children’s development.
Read on to learn more about the benefits of pretend play.
It develops creative thinking
Imagining new scenarios sparks a child’s creativity. Studies show that this creativity lasts for the long term. Researchers studying creative individuals, like Nobel Prize winners and MacArthur Genius Grant recipients, found that these people were more likely to have played in “make-believe worlds” as children. So encourage make-believe now, and you just might have a little Einstein on your hands!
It encourages problem-solving
When kids play make-believe, they often come up with creative solutions to the problems they encounter in their pretend situations. For example, a monster blocking an entryway or a secret password that must be discovered are situations that encourage children to sharpen their problem-solving skills.
It promotes healthy social and emotional skills
Kids playing make-believe utilize a number of important skills, like taking responsibility, sharing, effective communication and so much more. Pretend play helps your child’s emotions and social graces develop in a healthy way that will serve him or her for a lifetime.
At the Children’s Enchanted Learning Center, we understand the importance of make-believe play for happy, healthy children. Give us a call today at 281-991-3999 to book a tour and find out why Pasadena, Texas, parents love enrolling their children in our early childhood program.