Fantasy play is so important in the development of young minds—but children tend to go in stages. As the parent, you may notice that pretending, make-believe, and fantasy play tends to come and go in stages and phases. Just when you think your seven or eight year old has outgrown pretending, it will reappear in the play of a nine-year-old. Different children have different ways of playing pretend—but it is normal and a key developmental way of learning and processing the world.
Some children like to play dress-up and have the dramatic pretend play, while others prefer to do what is known as “directional play”—or play where a child is directing figures or objects. My own children used to do a great deal of this sort of play and they called it “playing toys”—it basically just involved getting out toys and objects and building towns or villages or other make-believe worlds and playing with all the “guys” in a variety of elaborate pretend scenarios. My son used to like to just walk and pace in the backyard and make up all sorts of scenarios in his head—he didn’t need any props to create his pretend stories.
Don’t be surprised if a child announces that he is “too big” for pretend play that he formally enjoyed. There is a good chance that it will return again in a different guise. I think parents can encourage pretend play mostly by not DIS-couraging it. Letting your child know that you are supportive and understanding of make-believe keeps the stage open for plenty of pretending. While younger children may invite you into their pretend world, it is fairly common for elementary-aged children to keep their pretending more of a secret. This is perfectly normal too! Kids start to learn that the outside world isn’t as indulging with their make-believe as they get older, but by continuing to have plenty of toys and space, they will continue pretending through the bulk of the elementary school years.
See Also: Engage in Pretend Play
Could My Child Have Schizophrenia?