Pretend Play - A Child's Job

Pretend Play - A Child's Job

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw

​If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then your toddler probably lavishes you with flattery throughout the day. You might notice your child “driving” in the backseat, putting a diaper on a favorite stuffed animal, or even “taking a photo” and “posting” it to Facebook with your phone. All of this imitation helps your toddler to begin experiencing the world from an external point of view.
 
For toddlers, imitating the behaviors they see around them is an early stage of pretend play and lays the groundwork for the development of empathy, emotional intelligence, creativity, and imagination.

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Ways to Encourage Pretend Play

Benefits of Pretend Play