Imaginative play is a wonderful gift through which children can experience fantasy worlds in a risk-free way. It may seem nonsensical at times, to adults, but actually very important work is being done when children engage in “pretend-play”.
From slaying dragons, to hosting tea parties, imaginative play gives children countless opportunities to express their creativity and emotion, develop language skills and also understand what is being communicated through body language. During make-believe scenarios, children draw on mental images and memories, and in so doing, they process both positive and negative emotions in a safe setting. A child might re-enact a visit to a hospital, for example, as a means of soothing his or her own anxiety around the event and normalising it to some extent. Power dynamics and relationship rules are also played out and tested in certain games. For example, two girls pretending to be sisters are working out for themselves the “rules” for sisterhood and “trying on” what it feels like to have a same-sex sibling. Then there is the confident joy of magical play that makes a child feel invincible, and capable of great things when wearing a Superman cape or a “golden” tiara. Even “sad play” when children act out feelings of loss or disappointment is extremely valuable – for example, a child may soothe and console a doll or soft animal as a way of processing his or her own difficulty. In the words of Piaget (1945), the psychologist who developed the theory of children’s cognitive development, “Children engage in the world of imaginative play in order to test their mastery over what they experience in the non-play world with others” (Göncü & Vadeboncoeur, 2017).
Research shows that imaginative play is clearly linked to the development of creativity in two ways. Firstly, it generates divergent thinking – the ability to produce a variety of ideas, that is essential to problem-solving. This capacity is significant, in the world of science, for example, where flexible thinking is critical to progress. Secondly, imaginative play enables the transformation of experiences, memories and accompanying emotions into all types of art (Russ & Wallace, 2013).
Play can be an open-ended breathing space for children with no agenda, apart from the process itself. In a highly scheduled and competitive environment, this is an important component of childhood not to be overlooked, as it is a way for children to develop their own individuality and preferences. Open-ended and unstructured play, however, is still influenced by social and cultural norms. Cultures vary in what activities are valued. Children’s imaginative play might emphasise domestic chores like ironing clothes; leisure-time activities, for example, acting out riding a horse; or work outside the home, such as impersonating a firefighter. Even in solitary play, children tacitly re-enact what is important in their environment and thus, certain roles are reinforced. Of course, a certain amount of supervision is necessary with children’s pretend-play to prevent harmful relationship dynamics from being reinforced. One teacher, for example, does not allow children to make their peers play the role of a house pet in imaginative games. She explained that children who have lower status in the group were usually given the role of house pet, further establishing their powerlessness and low status which was not acceptable (Göncü & Vadeboncoeur, 2017).
Guided imaginary play has many potential benefits for children, as it provides an efficient means of learning. In guided play, parents or teachers follow the lead of the child but gently shape the child’s behaviour, without taking over, in order to impart new understanding and skills. For example, if a child is playing with various coloured blocks, a parent might put all the green shapes to one side and ask the child what they think is the same about those shapes. In guided play it is important to remember that the child’s exploration must always come before instruction. There is also value in parents introducing play into non-play environments. Think of a toddler who hates to brush his teeth. If it becomes a game of his toothbrush trying to catch bunnies in his mouth, it can become a stress-free and even enjoyable experience.
Here are some great ideas of how to incorporate more imaginative play into the life of your child, in a simple way (Suardi, 2011; Scholastic.com, 2020).
- Reduce after-school activities to create some commitment-free time
- Reduce screen-time
- Set up a “prop-box” with large empty boxes, old clothes for dressing up, old telephones, books, cooking utensils, stuffed animals and dolls, writing materials, art and craft supplies, pieces of fabric and blankets or old sheets for making a fort
- Put aside some theme-appropriate materials such as foreign coins or used plane tickets for pretend-trips
- Invest in toys such as cars, trains, animals and building sets, rather than media characters which require less imagination to “come alive”
- Concede a little chaos – where possible carve out a space that isn’t ruled over by adults and that doesn’t have to be packed away too frequently, where children are free to explore their creativity
- Encourage children to spend time outside with sand, buckets and water, or their own picnic
- Expose children to a wide range of characters in books and films so that they can incorporate these different elements into their games
References
Göncü, A., & Vadeboncoeur, J. (2017). Expanding the definitional criteria for imaginative play: Contributions of sociocultural perspectives. Learning & Behavior, 45(4), 422-431. doi: 10.3758/s13420-017-0292-z
Russ, S., & Wallace, C. (2013). Pretend Play and Creative Processes. American Journal Of Play, 6(136-148).
Scholastic.com. (2020). The Importance of Pretend Play. Retrieved 22 February 2020, from https://www.scholastic.com/parents/kids-activities-and-printables/activities-for-kids/arts-and-craft-ideas/importance-pretend-play.html
Suardi, A. (2011). 9 Ways to Encourage Imaginative Play. Retrieved 22 February 2020, from http://www.frugal-mama.com/2011/02/9-ways-to-encourage-imaginative-play/
Picture: Michael Morse
