Imagination station
Help your child make sense of the world through plenty of pretend play.
Toy animals and dolls make great companions during pretend play. They are willing to lie down and go to sleep, be cuddled tightly, and attend a tea party! Children can build their understanding about how the world works through their interactions in the pretend world. Ask your toddler, “What does your bear eat?” or “Where does he sleep?” While the responses might be brief (one- or two-word answers are very appropriate for this age), what is going on inside your child’s head is anything but simple. Expand this line of questioning to a trip to the zoo or the park. What do elephants eat? How about dogs? Where do they sleep? Don’t discourage your child’s more imaginative answers to these questions. As he continues to explore and observe the world around him, he’ll expand his understanding of the “practical” as well as the “possible.”
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