3 Reasons Why Imaginative Play Benefits Children

Children have their own unique way of playing with each other, and as a parent, it can be incredible to watch them and see just how big their imagination is. Whether they are pretending to be pirates, transforming the sofa into their own pirate ship or they are hosting their own tea party for their toys, complete with imagined cakes, sandwiches and drinks, their imaginations know no bounds.

However, this isn’t all just child’s play - imaginative play can be hugely beneficial to their development and can help them to build skills that will shape the way they grow up and the types of adults they will become. So, what benefits can you see from your child engaging in imaginative play?

#1 - It Improves Social Skills

Imaginative play can be a particularly useful tool when it comes to the development of a number of skills, such as social skills. Not only do children engage with other children their age, the games they play can teach them a lot about interacting with others. If they’re playing cops and robbers, they can be developing their sense of right and wrong, as well as learning how to work as a team, or if they’re pretending to be a mum or dad, they can learn more about compassion and care for other people.

We spoke to Play Like Mum who provides a range of Silver Cross dolls’ prams and other toys about imaginative play. They said,“When children play make-believe, there is so much going on in the development of the way they interact with other children and adults. They can process ways to react to different situations and learn how to communicate with their peers. Playing with dolls and prams may seem like a simple game but this is when you see them developing the social skills that they will be using for the rest of their lives. It’s incredibly important.”

#2 - It Teaches Them to Problem Solve

Problem-solving may be a skill that you most often associate with the workplace and would list on your CV, but this is something you start developing as a child. In fact, imaginative play can be an essential tool in learning this key skill.

If you watch your children engaging in imaginative play, you’ll be able to see that in order to create a sense of adventure, they’ll often create a problem that they have to solve for themselves. They may be pretending to be pirates and introduce a sea monster into the narrative, or perhaps they have to conduct a rescue mission to save the princess from her tower. These adventures help to teach them to problem solve and set the foundations for the skills they will need as they grow up.

#3 - It Keeps Them Active

Children have a lot of energy and it can often be astounding to watch them play as they seem to have no limits. Imaginative play is often a particularly active activity with plenty of running around, climbing and jumping. This can help them to develop their motor skills and coordination and encourages them to stay active.

It’s also a fantastic way to keep them fit and healthy and to allow them to run off some of that energy which can often present quite the challenge when it comes to bedtime!

While it can sometimes seem like child’s play, imaginative play may be far more important than we realize as our children learn and develop skills that will shape the person they will become as they grow up.