Imaginative Play - A Vital Tool for Optimum Child Brain Development
By Andrew Loh
Young children and toddlers are born intelligent and they seem to
learn by using various, practical techniques of imaginative play.
Just watch your young child and you will come to know how they learn
by playing their own games and play activities. Have you ever
watched your young child picking up a small stone and mimicking as
if it is a super bike? Did you ever watch your young daughter
playing with her kitchen set to prepare meals for you? There are a
number of hidden meanings with these simple yet significant actions!
In fact, your child is using some objects to represent or denote
something else, all the while using a number of actions and motions
with those objects.
Pretend play is an important aspect of your child's normal
development. However, imaginative play is not as simple as it looks,
because it involves several areas of baby development, most of which
are very much essential for normal growth. Available research
suggests us that those babies that play with intelligent and
innovative play sets and things always grow better in all aspects of
life, including physical and mental faculties. Most preschool and
kindergarten classrooms provide a number of different play sets and
games for children to spend some productive time. Almost all schools
will also have a well-equipped and well-furnished dramatic playroom
to help young children develop their reflexes and intelligence.
Children who learn mastering imaginative play will help develop a
series of skills and later apply them in the life.
Imaginative play helps your child in a number of ways like:
When your child is playing in an imaginative way, he or she will be
actually experimenting with a series of social and emotional roles
and parameters of life. Imaginative play that relate to cooperation
will help your child to know and understand why sharing
responsibility is so important in life. It will also assist in
solving problems in a creative manner. When your child exposes his
or her mind to a series of character plays, it becomes possible to
acquire the experience of ¡°imitating or mimicking others¡±; this
special skill will also help in developing empathy for others that
is an important moral skill.
All children have very pure thoughts in them and they always like to
see their immediate surroundings in their own viewpoint and
perspective. In fact, most of these views are highly egocentric in
nature. However, with various imaginative play sessions, it is
possible to induce good characters like emotional maturity and
cooperation. One of the most important skills that your children can
learn is to understand how others feel and react in response to
their behavior. Self-esteem is another positive character that is
the direct result of imaginative play. Life is a delicate mixture of
reality and fantasy. It is very important for your children
understand this difference and acquire those positive characters
that help them realize the importance of knowing the harsh realities
of life. When your child plays in an imaginative manner, he or she
will be seeing a number of familiar characters.
In many cases, parents may hear their children uttering some words
and phrases, while they are playing with their toys. Did you see
that your children would be speaking in a manner that reflects your
own behavioral pattern? Your children can easily be your own mirror
image! Your children can mimic your action, reactions, as well as
your behavior. One of the significant benefits of imaginative play
is the acquisition of basic language skills. Spoken and written
language should go hand in hand and imaginative play helps your
child in acquiring both of these skills.
Imaginative play will help your children build a basic vocabulary of
words that are always theme-specific and connected to most ordinary
events of life. Imaginative play also helps your children develop
thinking skills that eventually assists them to solve a number of
problems. Cognitive thinking skills are very important part of your
children's life. Imaginative play has an important role in
developing characters that are specific enough in streamlining
specific thought processes.
Imaginative play always helps your children to acquire self-regulation skills that are important in
knowing how and when they can manage their feelings and emotions.
Imaginative play helps your children develop frontal lobe part of
the brain that regulates behavior. Abstract thinking is another
skill that is very critical for your children's life success.
Abstract thinking ability will help your child to use some objects
as usable symbols for a series of real life events. Imaginative play
is a wonderful tool that can help your children to master a series
of skills required to lead a life of bliss, satisfaction, success and contentment.
Continue to read
Imaginative Play Ideas - What Do Your Children Learn When They Play.
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