It’s Time for Play! Make Believe
[Music]
Children: It's time for play! [Music]
Amelia Bachleda: Hi, everyone. My name is Amelia, and today we're going to talk about one of my favorite ways to play – make-believe. When we pretend, when we make-believe, we can go anywhere, and we can be anything, and that's why I'm sitting in front of this white wall. We don't need fancy toys or fancy props to go on marvelous adventures in our minds. And that's particularly important when we're not able to go exactly where we want to go or do exactly what we want to do, and this is experience that is so common for children. They're rarely able to do exactly what they want to do, right when they want to do it. And so, they play. Children play to explore their world, to try things out. I'm sure all of us have seen children pretend to care for a baby doll or a teddy bear, maybe pretend to clean the house or even drive a car. And they play this way because that's what they see important adults in their lives do. They play to try out roles, to figure out what that might be like or seem like. And children – they're champions of play, but that doesn't mean that they don't need our support. As adults, we can play along with children and help them explore their ideas. It's important to follow a child's lead. Our role as adults is to support their ideas, their wonderings. We can ask questions. We can support what they're doing, what they're exploring, to help make that experience richer – because who doesn't need a little help being more playful in their lives?
One way that I like to start a make-believe session is to find a common everyday object, like this paper-towel tube, and think about all of the different creative things you could do with it. For example – hmm – this tube could be a telescope. Or it could be a trumpet. "Da-da-da-da- daaaaa." Or it could be a fairy wand. There are so many different things that this paper-towel tube could be. And you know what? Research says that children are often better at coming up with new and creative ways to use an object, like a paper-towel tube, than adults are. And you know what that means? It means that playing along with children and using your creativity to try and figure out what are all the different things that you could possibly do with a paper- towel tube are – that's good for your creativity, too. It just might spark your next creative idea.
Another way I like to play is dress-up. Even a simple towel can transform you into anything or anyone. It can help you become a superhero. "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Or maybe it can take you to the fanciest party. Or maybe you just want some sort of silly hat to wear. But you don't have to stop there. Look in your closet or your dress-up bin. Can you put together an outfit that would help you become an artist, a chef, a truck driver, maybe an astronaut? And if you don't have it, try making it out of cardboard. There's all sorts of things you can do. You know, dress-up is important for adults, too, especially when times feel uncertain. Putting on your favorite outfit, or maybe putting together the most colorful outfit with the most patterns that you can possibly think of, it can bring a smile to your face and brighten your day.
The last idea I have for you is maybe my favorite way to play right now, and that is to create a whole new world in our minds. Even if our bodies can't go everywhere right now, our minds can. They can take us to the bottom of the ocean or to the store around the corner. Start by setting a scene. Imagine that you're on a boat. Can you feel the subtle motion? Can you feel the wind in your hair or taste the salt on your lips? And [Gasps] do you see what I see? What's that? [Gasps] A dolphin. There it goes. Invite children to play along. Have them build on the idea.
What do they see? What should we do next? What else can we explore? Having these sorts of back-and-forth interactions builds children's language skills, their social-emotional skills, even their cognitive development. And this type of imaginative play is important for adults, too. The next time you're having a hard day, try make-believe. Imagine that you're sitting next to a babbling brook or maybe you're on a beach. Take a deep breath in. [Takes deep breathe] Imagining that we're somewhere calming and relaxing can help ease our mind and body and give us just the tiniest bit of a vacation. I hope you, too, will be able to enjoy make-believe next time you make time for play. Bye for now.
Learn how children learn and grow through their make believe play. Dr. Amelia Bachleda shares some ways that adults can start playing make believe with the children in their lives.
