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ADVICE RATING |
    4.98 (Highly recommend) from 23 votes (949 Visits) |
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Make Believe or Pretend Play |
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by ellamia (October 2007) (rank 48th) |
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Most children would pretend or make believe in all different kinds of ways such as dressing up, making a cubby from a box or sheets, role playing and even having a little tea party with make believe friends. This is normal for a child to do this and they enjoy it. When a child role plays it helps them learn about social roles and other peoples roles and how things are acted out. This encourages and develops language skills that can help as they grow older and also solve and think creatively. This is a guide line what our children will do.
Babies
Babies at this age cant play in this sort of game. They will need to spend time exploring things like objects by banging, shaking and putting things in their mouths. By around the age of 12 months or more they begin to copy or imitate things you do and this is just the beginning of role playing and pretend play.
Toddlers
Toddlers begin to copy what you do and enjoy doing this. They will pretend to talk on a telephone when no one is there or maybe even drink from a drink cup when it is empty. They also may talk to teddy and feed it or even give it a drink. Give them little tasks in your daily routine so they can help and be just like mum and dad, like taking washing out the washing machine or vacuuming. They may make noises of different animals or objects like moo moo for a cow, woof woof for a dog, or brum brum for a car etc.
Children
Children become more involved in role playing around the age 3 or 4 years. They like to help set the table or help cook dinner and washing up the dishes with you. They may ask a teddy or a doll if they are hungry and want some more dinner. They can make objects be other things like a box as a boat or a car. At this age and a little older such as preschool kids they get a lot more involved in role playing and pretend play.
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ADVICE RATING |
    4.98 (Highly recommend) from 23 votes |
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Re: Make Believe or Pretend Play
These are great ideas Kelly - however there is no need to limit your child by all of the ages - Jaydee is 21months and does all of these things and has done for some time.
For quite a few months he has taken on the different roles of mumma, daddy and baby and played them quite accurately. He chats on the phone for real and does his dishes, helps with the laundry, and vacuums. He has been in charge of his own little stereo and tele since he was about 12mths and I showed him how to work them. (Of course he has to ask me to use them first).
He also switches all the lights etc off when we go out, and wipes up his own spills. He makes many animal noises and can imitate sounds for cars, motorbikes, helicopters and aeroplanes along with signing them and saying them - so it is obvious what he is pretending to do when he sits in his box.
So don't underestimate the ability of your child, and keep encouraging them to use their imagination - especially by using your own and playing with them. I think our little man is fairly average in his development - it is just that we don't know what age he is meant to do stuff, and try not to worry about that side of it.
Keep up the great advice, it is fun to read, and gives me great ideas.
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