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UK
Let's Pretend Toys -
Educational Let's
Pretend Toys in the UK |
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Let's Pretend! Toys to
Stimulate the Imagination
 Do
you remember the joy of spending an afternoon
with your collection of action figures or Barbie
dolls? Can you recall playing "house" or
"office" as a child, emulating the tasks that
your parents did every day? Pretend play is an
essential part of child development on many
levels and at every age. Plus, pretending is one
of the most fun activities that you can ever do
- whether you are a kid or simply a kid at
heart.
Child development experts believe that pretend
play begins about the time a toddler reaches
eighteen months. At this point, pretending
revolves around the familiar - feeding a dolly,
talking on the phone or listening to "Mr.
Bear's" heartbeat. Developmental toys that
encourage pretend play at this stage might
include play food, a grocery cart or a doctor
kit. A play phone will keep your child busy and
away from your phone, and a play vacuum will
allow him to complete chores with you.
As a child reaches the preschool years, pretend
play becomes more imaginative, with a bunk bed
converting to a spaceship to the moon or a
pirate ship on the open sea. At this age,
pretending also becomes more interactive, with
children engaging with other children or with
their parents. Dressing up becomes a popular
pastime, and princesses and pirates will run
amok in your household.
Benefits of Pretend
Play
There are many parts of your child's development
that will benefit from pretending. Acting out
roles and actions will help children to work out
their feelings and emotions in a creative,
constructive way. As children begin to pretend
together, or include parents in their games,
social skills and language development is taking
place. Of course, creativity and imagination are
always ripe for the nurturing, and pretend play
is a perfect vehicle to encourage both.
One of the most popular toys for pretend play is
a kid-sized kitchen, and Little Tikes makes a
great model that is quite popular in this
country. Lexibook makes Barbie accessories like
a vacuum and cash registers that little girls
will especially love, and boys tend to be
partial to the bug vacuum by Backyard Safari
that allows them to play scientists on a whole
new level. Look for dress up clothes and action
figures by Disney that allow kids to act out
scenes from their favourite movies and create
all new stories of their own. Percy the Park
Keeper kid-sized gardening tools will allow your
children to get down and dirty in the garden
with you and GloE has dress up clothes with
enough sparkle to delight any young girl.
Pretending is the first step in your child's
healthy social and emotional development. So the
next time your child asks you to pretend with
him, don a cowboy hat and ride the imaginary
range. It is guaranteed to be an afternoon well
spent. |
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