Encouraging Imaginative Play In Pre-schoolers

While there is no doubt that your pre-schooler has a wonderful imagination and is having tea with the queen every day and slaying dragons every other day, a great way to encourage their imagination even further is to provide more objects for them to explore and play with:

A dress-up box is a good idea. It does not matter what sex your child is, try to provide as many different clothing and props as you can (handbags, pirate patches, veils, jewellery, light saber) that will cover the needs of both sexes. If your daughter wants to be Darth Vadar, or your son wants to be Tinkerbell, Who are you to judge? Children of this age have no concept of "right" and "wrong", when it comes to gender issues. A recycling box. is great if you have a bunch of empty containers, cereal boxes or any cartons you might have. Your pre-schooler should have no difficulty in turning the lot into a car-wreckers, a supermarket, a robot, a UFO or even a Darth Vadar costume, complete with light sabre. The list of possibilities is endless.

By providing paper, pencils, crayons, and glue, these geniuses in the making will have no trouble turning all of these must-have items into making a shop sign, playing truck driver's, making a pet dinosaur, or a pirate ship. Second-hand kitchen utensils should turn out to be the ultimate favorite. Every single pretend house should a good supply of these tools! How can you build a new room, renovate the kitchen, plan a landscaped garden, or cook a sponge cake for your husband without a wooden spoon?

If you throw in a few building blocks, the list of possibilities is now endless. What can't you make with building blocks? A secret spot that Mum and Dad "don't know about" is a perennial hideaway. It is great for playing quietly in, or even having a nap in. A quiet spot tucked away, out of sight, be it behind the sofa, or under the kitchen table, even a hidey-hole of their own in a garden bush will allow your child to play in their own brilliant, sparkling world, peopled by pixie's, elves, and fairies, without having you coming in and spoiling their illusion.