Through months and years, your child's ability to communicate and use motor skills progress sequentially. But so does their ability to imagine and pretend. Kids mimic the things that happen around them every day. They may "talk on the phone" using the TV remote or a building block. They may feed their dolls the same way they see mom or dad feed the baby of the family. But the imagination and the ability to use it becomes more complex as a child grows. Rather than simply repeating what they see every day, their play develops into something more inventive. There is now a castle where a simple pile of blocks used to be. With two chairs and a tablecloth or sheet, your child can be tent camping out in the wilderness.
When imaginative play occurs, the possibilities are endless!
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
With or without toys, skills can be nurtured, encouraged, and developed. Emotional, social, and intellectual development occurs when children play. A child who wanders into the kitchen and yanks pots and pans out of cabinets can busy themselves for hours. Everyday items can become anything the child wants them to be. How often have you heard the story about a child that finds more fun and entertainment in the box an expensive toy came in than in the toy itself? That's because kids know how to use their imaginations and do so frequently.
Pretend play is to be encouraged in children. We’re going to offer several ways through which imaginative play and toys can be coupled.
TOYS WITH WHICH TO BUILD
Using Play-Doh, building blocks, etc., your child can make something out of nothing. With all the endless possibilities, your child is only limited by their imagination. Without any specific or clear purpose, toys that are "open-ended" require the child to make up their mind about precisely what they are making and what will be accomplished through its use. Inventiveness and artistic creativity are both encouraged through this type of play, as well as honing a child's ability to manipulate various materials.
CHARACTER TOYS
These can be referred to as action figures, if you prefer, but they are, more or less, tiny little people. This category can also include stuffed or small toy animals. The whole point is for your child to be able to go to a party or on an exciting adventure without having to leave the house. These are similar to role play toys, which we will explore next.
ROLE-PLAY TOYS
Miniature versions of kitchens, workbenches, beauty shops, hospitals, grocery stores, etc., offer a child the opportunity to play the role of a person they have seen at home or out in public.
Additionally, dress-up is another way for your child to role-play and something you can do with them.
Regardless of whether your child uses miniature versions of settings or dresses up, they can pretend to be a princess, superhero, dinosaur, policeman, and more. They can put themselves into either realistic or completely fantastical situations – depending on what their creative imagination prefers.
Social-emotional, cognition, and empathy skills are developed through this type of play. It also encourages problem-solving and the ability for your child to put themselves in someone else's shoes. If they’re playing with someone, it promotes communication, patience, cooperation, and other interpersonal skills.
IMAGINATIVE TOYS AND MORE AT KIDPOWERED
When it comes to toys that stimulate a child's imagination, we've got you covered! From realistic situations that offer a child the opportunity to create a story (kitchens, workshops, hospitals, beauty parlors) to more fantastical settings (dinosaurs, castles, pirates, movie themes, etc.), we've got what your child needs to use their imagination.
When coupling your child's imagination with toys purchased at Kidpowered, anything's possible! Before you purchase toys anywhere else, shop at Kidpowered by category, brand, theme, or browse our entire inventory.