Ring, ring! You catch your little one calling the tooth fairy on their new, hip and stylish cell phone (the banana you gave them for breakfast…) while also asking the tooth fairy if they can bring Spider-Man the next time they lose a tooth. That, my friends, is called imaginative play, and it is oh so important for the development of your child!
At our toddler daycare near Bathurst and Rutherford, we know emotional and physical development is integral to your child’s growth, and we believe imaginative play is an excellent opportunity to enhance those skills! Today, we’ll show you various tips on helping your child with creative play, and if you want staff to help your toddler immerse themselves in more pretend play, come to our best daycare in Vaughan!
“Children learn best by using their senses and by having a stimulating and educational environment that surrounds them and is consistently adapted and changed to suit children’s developmental well-being and overall needs. Our staff encourages children to experiment and explore their environment with their five senses as well as other areas of development”
What are some examples of imaginative play?
From your child using a cardboard box to build their grand dream fort to running their convenience store at home, those are both great signs of your little one involving themself in imaginative play. There really is no limit to what they can do to extend their imagination in open-ended and unstructured play – plus, it is so enjoyable and adorable to watch!
Here are some other examples of imaginative play your child may immerse themselves in:
- Cooking an imaginary meal
- Throwing tea parties
- Building a city… made out of lego
- Playing doctor
All kinds of imaginative play should be encouraged (granted that it’s safe!), as it builds varying aspects of a child’s development. In doing so, pretend play can promote physical and emotional development in a fun way. They can enhance their hand-eye coordination, gross motor development, and memory skills – the list goes on!
How can I encourage my child to engage in imaginative play?
Now, how can you encourage your child to engage themself in imaginative play? Should you join in imaginative play with your child as well?
It’s important to encourage your child to engage in imaginative play actively, and it’s even better to engage in play with them! Your little one’s creativity is out of this world. Kids can make a toy out of anything, so finding ways to incorporate imaginative play into their routine should be relatively manageable! It’s important just to give your child time and the area to have their creative space. Letting them play dress-up or having a role-play scenario will encourage them to use their minds and think out of the box!
At ACE daycare, we heavily encourage children to play pretend with their peers, themselves, and the staff! Our team is more than happy to play with your child and help them feel safe and excited to express their creativity freely.
What is the right age to introduce imaginative play to a child?
Well, at around 2 or 3, many toddlers begin using their growing thinking skills to pretend with their dolls, cars, or animals! Their actions are typically formed through activities or events that they notice firsthand, including seeing you cooking in the kitchen, buying groceries at the supermarket, or driving! As they mimic more of your actions, they develop their own mental and physical skills in their playtime.
Now, if your child hasn’t started involving themselves in imaginative play, don’t fret! You can help encourage your child to play and learn with things that aren’t conventionally used for certain activities. For example, pretending to use a doll to play out eating a slice of pizza made from blocks. This will help your little one realize that toys can stand for anything they put their mind to!
Want to help your child get into imaginative play? Have any questions? We would love to meet you!
Imaginative play is crucial in improving your child’s creativity skills! A daycare is a prime space for your child to use various toys in their surroundings to extend an open mind – which is why ACE may be perfect for your little one! Our trained, supportive, and eager staff want to give your toddler the best imaginative play opportunities in their development stages. Ready to see your child’s mind blossom? Register now, and we’ll see you in September!
