Pretend play is a very important element of child development. It comes natural to every child. They teach themselves problem solving, communication skills and let their creativity flow. Even adults pretend play, when we prepare a speech, for a difficult situation or conversation, when we envision our own futures.
Zara has been pretend playing for quite some time. Lately, she is beginning to pretend play situations she has observed the people around her in. For example, Freddy's cat Hoppy is sick and we took her to the vet. Later that day, Zara got out her play phone and called the vet, telling her that Blueberry Bear was sick. She continued this scenario for hours, even asking me to write an appointment for Blueberry Bear on paper. She reassured Blueberry that everything would be okay, just as we did Hoppy.
When you observe closely how a child pretend plays, you will learn much about that child and their view of the world around them. You can also see their personality in action and even steal a glimpse of how the child will handle situations as a grown person. If nurtured deeply, children can retain most of the qualities as adults that they display at a very young age.
