Imaginative Play: Tips & Tricks to Be Prepared-ish
Between 18 months and 2 ½ years, most toddlers start to experience a language explosion – with new words being learnt and spoken daily. As this happens, your little one’s imagination will kick in. Thoughts and words begin to create images and stories in your child’s mind. And with that, the most fun stage of play emerges – imaginary play.
Imaginary and fantasy play is the way in which your toddler will practise social norms and role pay situations that may be stressful for him. This is critical for social and emotional development.
Since this is such a critical stage, you should help to scaffold the development of imaginary play. Here are some ideas you can use to be prepared-ish to encourage imaginary play:
- Language is the gateway to imagination and the master tool of the brain (Vygosky). Read books and talk about themes – these words will be the way your little one invites you in to his world and shares his imagination with you.
- Provide props that inspire your little one to use his imagination. Simple examples would be a toy phone or a sailor’s hat – these props can turn your toddler into ‘Mommy talking on the phone’ or ‘A fisherman fishing in a boat’. Create a dress up box and show your little one how to use props to ‘become’ a new role.
- Role play is central to imagination. You may need to prompt your toddler to pretend to be someone they are not, for instance to be a ‘bus driver’ – set up kiddie chairs like a bus and sit down and to pretend to drive. Quickly your toddler will learn to take on the new role.
- The plot in any imaginary game is important and when your toddler is still very little, he may battle to come up with a plot. You can use questions to develop the imaginary plot. For instance, when pretending to be the bus driver, say: “Where is the bus going?” This will inspire your toddler one to start the story. For example – “The bus is going to the shops”… will result in an imaginary shopping spree.
Playing imaginary games with your toddler will ignite language, socialisation and creativity – all core capacities that will stand your child in good stead in life!
Megan Faure (OTR) www.megfaure.com
Meg is an Occupational Therapist with a special interest in babies and toddlers - specifically irritable infants; sleep problems, emotional engagement difficulties and fussy feeding. Meg is the co-author of Baby Sense and the Sense-series books. Her clinical practise is in Cape Town and she consults and speaks internationally too.
