Four Reasons “Make Believe” is Important for Your Child

Have you ever wondered how kids learn to make believe?  Maybe you have seen a child with his arms extending pretending to fly like an airplane or making mud pies and letting them bake in the sun only to try and sell them for ten cents.  Kids learn by imagining and doing.  Make believe is essential to a child’s development.

Reasons “make believe” is important

1. “Make believe” is an excellent way for your child to express himself and gives you a window into his world.
2. “Make believe” allows children to explore their world.
3. “Make believe” builds social skills such as social, emotional, thinking and language skills.
4. “Make Believe” is great practice for adulthood.

As parents we need to encourage our children, of all ages, to make believe.  We can do this by providing the materials like an empty cardboard box from a refrigerator or stove, old telephone, cooking utensils, notepad and pencil, sheets, puzzles blocks or old clothes and shoes.  Children thrive on unstructured playtime and have a blast doing it!

Robin Greene is a Kindergarten teacher and worked in a Mother’s Morning Out program when her children were young.  Robin enjoys spending time watching her son play baseball and her daughter dance.  She also enjoys participating in church functions and freelance writing for mybabyclothes.com where you can find summer baby clothes, most beautiful baby tutus with matching baby headbands and snazzy baby hats.

Photo courtesy of Tariq’s Fantasy World