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CHILD'S PLAY
 Fantasy Land
Ever hear the phrase, “They’re living in a fantasy world”? As far as kids are concerned, this is good news. A child’s fantasy life goes through several important developmental phases. Here’s what to watch for in the years ahead:
18 months: The make-believe stage is just beginning as the child develops “recall memory”, which is the ability to store and retrieve a memory of an event or object. Once they can remember what they’ve seen and felt, kids can begin to fantasize.
2 years: Children begin to sense the power and control that grownups have, and they start showing an interest in imitating adult behavior. They like to do what they see Mommy and Daddy do, such as work around the house. Imaginary play is usually solitary at this stage. Kids will also begin to think symbolically by pretending an object is something other than it really is. For example, a block may be pushed across the floor as if it was a car.
2/3 years: Children now begin to engage in parallel play, staying near each other for company but not actually sharing their make-believe play. This is the first step towards group pretend play that will become important in the next few years.
4 years: This is the peak season of pretend play. Because of a child’s emotional, verbal and cognitive skills, they can now develop scripts, assign and reverse roles and think symbolically. They may pretend that chair cushions are a fort and will be able to develop a storyline based on that mental image. Their pretend games become more elaborate as they begin to think more abstractly, imagining objects or events without the use of props. Kids can now change their voices to fit different roles, dress up in costumes or use puppets. One of the most important developments for future social training is the child’s desire to cooperate. A child may recognize differences of opinion and be willing to change a storyline in order to keep the peace with a playmate.
5/6 years: Kids at this age may spend as much time planning and discussing various scenarios as they do actually acting them out. Their increased verbal skills allow them to play out much of the drama in words. Because of their more advanced physical coordination and knowledge of the world, kids’ fantasies reflect more sophisticated plot lines, character development and symbolism.
7 years: Fantasy play begins to diminish during this time, and there may be several reasons for this. Kids are developing the ability to think logically, so pretend play is not as fascinating as it once was. They start to prefer play that has established rules such as board games. There may be social pressure at school to conform to the behavior of the older kids, who don’t play pretend games. Children may still participate in a younger child’s fantasy game, but this kind of play is beginning to lose its appeal.
It is interesting to note that many of the skills we learn through our make-believe years carry through into adulthood, and we still continue to derive a certain amount of pleasure in fantasy. Our imaginations are employed every day in our work, family life and even our daydreams. The pretend play continues on, but we’re just doing it inside our heads.
Play is Powerful
 “For children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” Fred Rogers, of “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood”, knew what he was talking about. For over 30 years, his work was dedicated to the premise that kids learn best about themselves and the world around them through play.
Mr. Roger’s world was not an overscheduled one. Current studies show that at least 70% of a child’s waking hours are scheduled with work or other activities. Yikes.
Of course, parents aren’t the only ones to blame. Schools are chipping away at downtime, too. And they should know better. About 40% of all schools have no recess, and the number is growing. Even lunchtime is being whittled down. This is an effort to support better academics but in fact, the reduced playtime is working against learning. Experts agree that if kids don’t get adequate free play in school, tension and anger build up. This can result in decreased concentration and learning ability. Teachers will probably have some discipline problems on their hands, too.
The power of play is underestimated. Brain connections are actually created during downtime because the brain is in a state of relaxation. Long-term memory is the result, which is essential to learning. Many educators think that the best way to help kids succeed in school is to allow plenty of unscheduled time for children to process the large amounts of information they take in daily. So play equals learning. An oxymoron? Read on.
Downtime requires kids to be imaginative, resourceful and decisive instead of having everything guided for them. Unstructured play puts kids in charge. They can create their own games and make up their own rules. Ever notice that children can make a game out of anything? That’s because they have a natural inclination towards curiosity and creativity. Children need time to explore these gifts because developing these skills will help them academically, emotionally and socially. Time alone is equally important because kids need to reflect and get to know themselves without entertainment from an outside source. They will develop confidence and a sense of self, which will help them become more motivated individuals. Playtime definitely has its payoffs.
Leisure is the “absence of a necessity of being occupied” according to my friend Aristotle. Sounds nice. By the way, when was the last time you did some goofing off?
The Scoop on Make Believe
 We usually think of make believe behavior in children as a lot of fun, but it’s also an important part of intellectual and social development. Make believe is the primary way young children learn about the world around them, and they often act out what they’ve observed in daily life. We can tell what kids have been thinking about by watching them in their pretend play. Acting out this information during fantasy play helps them understand their world. A good example of this is watching children mimic their moms and dads doing daily chores or imitating what their parents do while at work.
Intellectually, fantasy play is the beginning of abstract thinking. Kids learn to think symbolically by mentally substituting one object for another; a large box may become a king’s castle. Pretend play also teaches kids how to envision things that aren’t there. A strong ability to fantasize may help children learn better in school when they are presented with information they’ve never experienced before. Imagination helps them envision what happened in history, how something is made or mathematical concepts.
Make believe may involve a child playing alone but as kids enter the older preschool years, imaginary play often involves several children. Group pretend play is an important social function and helps kids form friendships. It’s a first step in learning to get along with others because they begin to understand differences of opinion and the need to cooperate.
Imaginary play can also help children cope with their own emotions. They may act out scenarios about a fear they have, and pretending helps them gain control over their fear. The most common fears revolve around death, injury or rejection by their parents. Kids may act out situations in order to figure out ways to become stronger. This is particularly true when they impersonate Mom or Dad or perhaps a favorite superhero, whom they perceive to be powerful.
Many preschoolers have imaginary playmates; 65 percent of kids between the ages of two and six have at least one. An imaginary friend offers companionship and may help youngsters rehearse social situations where their verbal and social skills are sharpened. Children use this type of make believe to test the limits of their power and create their own world. It may also give kids an outlet for difficult feelings or confusion.
Parents can encourage pretend play by showing enjoyment in their children’s creativity; kids seek approval from Mom and Dad. Offer suggestions for make believe situations and try to play along when asked, but always let them call the shots. Provide simple props that children can transform using their imaginations. Cardboard boxes are a good example of this, and we’ve all seen kids who are more interested in the packaging of a toy than the toy itself. Costumes, puppets and blocks also transform well in the world of make believe. Toys that support fantasy play derive their play value from the child’s imagination. It’s not about what the toy does for the child, but rather what the child can create from the toy. |
