*Sponsored by Hasbro Play-Doh
I’m always so impressed by the imagination of little kids. I watch my own daughters pretend they are princesses riding magical horses or veterinarians taking care of and rescuing pets. They love to create their own magical worlds of make-believe! I’ve partnered with Play-Doh brand to share with you why this type of dramatic or imaginative play matters and how you can support your child’s creativity and self-expression at home with the latest and greatest toy Play-Doh brand has to offer!
What is Dramatic or Imaginative Play?
Dramatic play refers to those fun make-believe games you see your child engaged in at home or in the classroom. They might pretend to be super heroes saving the day, dinosaurs stomping through the jungle or parents taking care of their own babies. While this kind of play might seem insignificant, it plays a very important role in a child’s development. Children learn to express their thoughts, feelings and ideas through make-believe. They improve their language skills, math skills, and social skills. As a teacher, I loved setting up different stations to encourage play-based learning in my classroom!
How Do You Encourage Dramatic Play?
Now that you know how important dramatic play is for children, I’m going to show you an exciting and easy way to incorporate it into your child’s playtime! I recently discovered the Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Ultimate Ice Cream Truck Playset, and it has been the perfect way to encourage my preschool-aged daughter to express her big imagination. This realistic truck comes with 27 tools and 12 cans of Play-Doh modelling compound so children can customize their pretend ice cream creations. Noa loves to play the enjoyable music as she takes orders and creates Play-Doh soft serve cones topped with colourful, pretend sprinkles and candies made with the playset’s make-believe candy molds. She practices her numeracy skills as she checks out her customers at the register using the play money molds, and she loves sorting and creating patterns with the Play-Doh treats she builds. When we’re done playing, the truck has a ton of storage space, so all our tools and containers can be cleaned up and put away neatly. Every parents dream!
We also added the Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Colourful Café Playset to our play space, and it has been a huge hit! Noa loves to pretend she is a barista at a café, making colourful Play-Doh coffee, tea and frappe drinks topped with pretend whipped cream! I love listening to her practice new words, phrases and questions as she uses her imagination to act out real-world situations. By rolling and shaping the Play-Doh compound, I know Noa is strengthening her fine motor skills.
Next time you pass the toy aisle of most major retailers nationwide (specifically Toys R Us Canada), remember that these Play-Doh playsets are a great non-toxic option to encourage and support creative play and self-expression in your little ones! They are, of course, so fun, but there are so many developmental benefits to this shapeable, sharable, tactile brand as well.
Shop these awesome Play-Doh playsets here!
