Five benefits of role-play on child development
As children grow up and gain a greater understanding of the world, it is important to be aware of all the ways you can support their development, both physically and emotionally.
Role-playing games are a fantastic way to help children be creative and express themselves, while also aiding their overall development. Children will find themselves learning vital skills without even realising, such as communication, language and social skills, all of which will aid them in later life.
Surprisingly, it’s not always their bedtime stories or favourite action films that children want to recreate. Whether it’s their parents, older siblings, or grandparents, children are often inspired by the adults around them and want to mimic their actions too. Often the most popular and crucial role-playing games for children is that which involves recreating what they see their parents and grandparents do daily.
To help understand the benefits of role-playing games on children’s development, Andrew Coplestone, founder of high-quality and innovative dolls’ prams retailer Play Like Mum, shares expert insight on how roleplay can help children of all ages:
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Role-play is one of the most effective ways for children to acquire language and develop their speech as it allows them to communicate with older family members, as well as other children. Not only that, but role-play helps them to improve their vocabulary and improve their conversational skills as they act out different scenes, learning new and exciting words in the process.
ENCOURAGE CREATIVITY
As children act out different scenarios with their friends, the creative part of their brain blossoms. The joy of role-play is that no two play times are the same and children will often switch up their play scenarios for endless new story lines, often influenced by their latest interest or TV obsession. This fuels their creativity and encourages their imagination – ensuring playtime is always fun and new, whilst allowing them to bring this creativity to other aspects of the lives, such as the classroom.
HELP EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS
It is no surprise that child psychologists and therapists turn to role-play when helping children to explain how they feel. Role-play helps children act out their feelings, even when playing with friends, in a light-hearted and relaxed way. It can often help little ones to process emotions as they re-enact or create different scenes during play time, allowing them to problem solve and tackle issues which they may face in real life. This can help parents and guardians to identify any problems their children may be having and address them sooner.
IMPROVE SOCIALISATION
Whether playing with their peers or members of the family, children’s social skills can benefit hugely from role-play. When children place themselves in an imaginative social setting, they find new ways to interact with others, understanding how to relate, empathise and communicate with others around them. Role-play often encourages shy little ones to come out of their shell and it is great to see how playing in a creative way can help to inspire their confidence.
GET KIDS MOVING
Role-playing is by nature active, physical play, whether children are building a fort with sticks or pushing their doll around the local park in a pram designed with imaginative play in mind. Role-play allows them to get outdoors and enjoy the benefits that physical exercise offers, from getting their heart rate pumping with fast paced games to learning hand eye co-ordination by tying ropes or dressing their favourite doll, all of these are skills which play a crucial part in their development.
In conclusion, by providing children time away from screens to be creative and learn more about themselves and the world around them, there are many ways that role-play can positively influence children’s lives and their development.
The Daisy Chain collection of dolls’ prams and pushchairs create imaginative ways for children to role-play, so why not see how they can help your child blossom and grow.
