Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/make-believe-play-why-bother/5009944/
Marc has an old towel pinned around his shoulders. He and his friend Rachel crouch near the sand pile where they are stirring mud and gravel with a stick.Marc says, "Goosh it up. Way up. Now add more soup."
"Pretend this water is soup," he whispers to Rachel.
"These for the carrots and pepper and salt," Rachel trickles a handful of gravel into the goosh.
Three other children go by on trikes.
"Pretend they're robbers coming to take our soup."
"No, just kids."
"Robbers."
"I don't want robbers."
"Yes, robbers."
"NO!"
"Kid-robbers?"
"Okay."
It is easy to believe that when children play running and climbing games they practice basic physical skills. If Rachel and Marc were playing with containers and liquids at a water table, we might claim they were learning simple science. But overhearing them talk about soup and robbers when they are stirring sand near some other children prompts lots of adults to ask, "If they are only pretending, what can they be getting out of it?"
So What Are They Learning?
Since the turn of the century, parents, teachers, and researchers have recognized the emotional importance of pretending. By watching children, we have seen that make-believe offers children enjoyment, a vacation from real life issues, a ...