Playing, Pretending and Learning

Play is not just play. Through play, children are developing cognitive, emotional, social and physical skills. Play is children's work. There are several activities in Kindermusik which integrate pretend play. The process of 'making things up' is an important step in cognitive development. Children at this age are practicing distinguishing between what is real and what is pretend. You may notice when a child tells you a story, another child will chime in with 'I did that too!' They are not purposefully lying, but are sharing their excitement and trying out new ideas in their heads.

The rood word of imagination is 'image.' When children use their imaginations they are creating mental images. These images add depth and permanence to the music experience. The experience becomes more 'three-dimensional.' In this world of canned entertainment children are becoming passive learners. They need practice coming up with their own ideas, having their ideas valued by adults and in creating images in their mind that have not been fed them by visuals on a TV screen. When children use their imagination, they 'make it their own.' These experiences are more likely to hold children's attention because they will follow the interests of the child.

So feel free to encourage your child to pretend play, dress up, tell stories and create their own world for a day. Get involved and imagine up a whole experience just for them. Don't forget to sing your way through it all!