In preschool , the easiest way to develop a child’s intellect is through play. Through play, children learn new things and gain knowledge and understanding.
As parents we can encourage children , in this sense, by participating and creating specific quality family play times, even in a simple way. Encourage your child to play and find fun in things that surround him regularly, such as pots in the kitchen or pasta. With these elements, the child will not only learn how things are and how they feel to the touch, but will also be able to develop their muscles . Encourage your child to play with other children, with this, the little one will begin to socialize with others and little by little they will feel less dependence when playing at home and, even, they will learn to value their little moments of play alone.
But, above all, play with your children, because there are few things that a child values as much as that his family, those he loves the most, know how to have fun and find time for him . In addition, this time can also be very entertaining for parents and a relief from the usual stress of every day.
We play with the imagination: “throw me the ball”
Sometimes children do not need company to play, and can develop a fantastic mechanism (because it is) that consists of playing with imaginary friends . So we can hear a child say “throw the ball to me” and see that he is actually playing alone. And above all we must know that this is not only unimportant, but is quite positive, since it denotes an important development of children’s imagination.
Imaginary friends can be positive, because they help the child to express his feelings and also serve as company, if at a certain moment he has no one to play with. On the other hand, when the child talks to his “imaginary friend”, he develops his language and, above all, he is very entertained.
In any case, there is no need to worry, since this mechanism will disappear over time , when the child has developed more his sociability or his way of finding entertainment, both collectively and alone.
And it is that having an “imaginary friend” is normal in children and can be a very interesting game. Instead of worrying if this happens, ask your child the name of his friend, and this will give you more information about the development of his imagination and, incidentally, he will feel that you really care about him.
We play dress up
Since the child is small he begins to develop his imagination. He really enjoys imitating adults with the practice of imitative play , and this game is so beneficial that it is very important that parents support and encourage him from the beginning (playing cooking, caring, playing doctors …) and thus they will be helping you to develop your creativity and imagination , as well as your way of relating to the world. The child, in addition, will develop his language more through these types of games than through others, since he will need to recreate lots of scenes and situations.
Things we can do
- Lend them your shoes, your necklaces or a hat, so that your child can pretend to be an adult and have fun imitating their parents or grandparents.
- Make this game entertaining and encourage him to do it regularly.
- Play dress-up with him. If the child realizes that you participate in his activities, he will feel the happiest in the world.
It is important to be creative in games. That they can fantasize, that they can imagine. Less screens and more real communication.