Tips for Encouraging Pretend Play at Home

There is something essential to childhood that is slowly being erroded away.

What is it?!?

PLAY!

What used to fill most young kids’ days is getting lost in overscheduling, stress, and technology.

But you as a parent don’t have to let your kids flounder in a boring, unimaginative world. With a few simple tools and tips, you can encourage pretend play that will help you raise a well-rounded child. Society as a whole will thank you for it!

Costumes and Places of Play

Kids LOVE to dress up! Costumes are often times the foundation that launch my kids into hours of play. A couple tips…

Keep things versatile. Look for costumes that can double or quintuple as something else. Example: My son was giving this Ben Franklin costume for Christmas last year since he loves all things Revolutionary War. But the wig has transformed him into SO many characters! The possibilities are endless.

Let play time happen in different places. While the playroom is nice, mom and dad’s bathtub makes an excellent tug boat, while outside play equipment can turn into Mt. Everest. And don’t forget the kitchen is full of yummy possibilities!

Don’t Have Rules

Play time is for the kids! Don’t turn it into a structured, adult influenced time. If your kids want to wear firefighter hats while dancing around a teepee, let them! It’s ok to mix and match! If your kids’ British accent sound more like a Bostonian, let it slide.

Let Them Be Bored

This goes along with the advice above. If you announce to your kids, “Alright, now is the set time for pretend play. Ready, set, go!” it probably won’t go over well. Kids need time to zone out, get bored, and let their creativity escape. It may be uncomfortable at first. But after the complaining, will come kids that know how to entertain themselves.

Incorporate Music

Every once in a while, my kids love when we make pretend play especially epic with a soundtrack for their adventures. Pirate music, knight tunes, you name it, they love it! Music amplifies the emotions and lights imaginations on fire!

Keep Their Tummies Happy

Nothing brings playtime to a grinding halt like empty stomachs. Give your kids the good stuff with CLIF Kid Zbars. I love knowing they are made with organic ingredients (non-GMO of course). No artificial junk here! They have nutrients that active kids needs while keeping their taste buds happy.

Take a moment to check out this video by CLIF Kid and encourage your kids to come out and play!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.