Midlife Euphoria Day 44

Help Unleash Their Imagination

Published in the May 2015 issue of Suburb Magazine

Imaginative play begins to develop between the age of three and four. Parents should actively encourage the development of imagination skills. This is important to make sure that a child’s imagination is not discouraged.

Imagination is like a muscle that needs to be used. Just as a weightlifter needs to exercise his/her muscles in order to strengthen them, children need to actively use their imagination skills in order for them to develop. The simplest way to do this is by including your children in daily activities. Letting your children help you cook dinner, clean the house, fold clothes, etc. are some of the best ways to expand their understanding of the world and to explore their imagination.

Television and computer games are inappropriate activities for young children because a child sits passively and does not need to “act” in order for action to occur. Imagination is developed in young children through action. When children need to do something in order to achieve results, they need to think more clearly about what they choose to do and what results they will get based on the decisions they make.

Encouraging a child’s imagination does not mean letting children be by themselves. Instead, a parent can help encourage a child’s imagination by working alongside him/her. If your child sits down to draw a picture, sit down next to him/her and draw your own picture. Don’t make specific demands for how each activity must turn out. Instead, let your child lead you and “do as they do.”

Stages of play in child development:

Researcher Mildred Parten first categorized the stages of children’s play—a standard means of describing a child’s developmental progress in social play. Children given the opportunity to interact with other children advance naturally from one stage to the next. Identifying a child’s stage of play allows parents to support the child’s growth and progression into the next stage.

1. Onlooker behaviour: In the earliest stage, babies watch other children play but don’t join in play. Instead the child follows adults, talks to other children or simply sits and listens.

2. Solitary play: Older infants and toddlers play with toys alone with some degree of focus. The child pays little attention to the play of other children although he may occasionally interact by taking a toy.

3. Parallel play: Toddlers and two-year-olds often play independently but side by side. Children may talk aloud to each other though not about the same topic.

4. Associative play: During the early preschool years, children interact frequently. They share materials but create individual products and narrate different stories about their artwork.

5. Cooperative play: Older pre-schoolers engage in play that involves a high degree of complexity. Children share materials, work together to create a theme and storyline for the play, adopt roles to carry out the play and assign roles to others.

Social and Fantasy Play materials:

Mirrors

Dolls

Role relevant props: cash registers, doctor material, office material

Housekeeping equipment (stove, fridge, iron, phone, pots, pans)

Doll equipment: Bed, high chair, stroller

Puppets

Stuffed toys

Play scenes: Small people/animal figures

Transportation toys: Cars, trucks, trains

Exploration and Mastery Play Materials

Sand/water materials

Construction material: Bricks, nuts and bolts

Puzzles colour, size, stringing

Pattern making materials: shapes/ colour/size/ stringing

Books

Music, Art and Movement Play Material  

Crayons, paint brushes, nontoxic paint and finger-paint.

Musical instruments: xylophones, Bells, rattles, blowing instruments, Recorded musc, short high quality films/videos that show animals in their natural environment.

Gross Motor Play Materials

Balls and sports equipment: Balls of various sizes, flying discs

Ride on Equipment: Tricycles

Outdoor and gym equipment: swings, slides, ropes, hanging bars

These can be introduced at age 2 and the complexity of the play materials can increase as the child grows.

Question:

My 3 year old son likes to play with dolls and other girly toys as my 6 year daughter plays with them. He has many cars and boy toys but he prefers my daughter’s play material? I am worried. What should I do?

Answer:

The older siblings tend to become role models for the younger ones. There is no harm in boys playing with dolls. It is part of imaginative play where they learn to role play. Once he goes to school   he will be exposed to various other pursuits and have friends who will be indulging in varied activities. Peer models and preferences become more important then and as  children grow they start identifying with their own sex stereotypes.