Regardless of the time, children of all ages have always, and will always love “playing house.” Children use this imaginary life to imitate the grown up version of their family, their home, and their life…each child has his or her role in the “household,” his or her responsibilities, and so on. Imaginary role playing games, such as “playing house,” ultimately help you child to define his or her identity… there’s the little girl, pretending to be like Mommy…and the little boy, pretending to be like Daddy. Or vice versa.
Of course, in the 21st century, the roles of Mommy and Daddy have shifted considerably, and Daddy may be the one who does the majority of the cooking, while Mommy may be the one who goes off to work every day… believe it or not, that doesn’t matter to children. Children have no preconceived notions of who is responsible for what in a home…they just want to pretend to have their own home. To be the “grownups.”
One of the best ways for your child to experience the “grown up” world is to be encouraged to play house…and one of the best ways to encourage this creative, imaginative play is to provide them with the make believe tools to make it happen.
Creativity and imagination spur the growth of intelligence in children, exercise their brains, and create more neural pathways. Creative play is an excellent source of education, as well as a source of amusement for children. These treasured hours of play can result in increased creativity that will last a lifetime. It has been proven that children who exercise their mental capabilities with “pretend play” and imagination are more creative in their lifetimes than children who aren’t encouraged to use their imagination. Creative children are often more coordinated and gifted in the arts, music, and writing.
You can help your children by giving them some toy tools that will inspire their own creativity.
Play kitchens are just one form of imaginary playing house that is great for children. A play kitchen, complete with play food, dishes, silverware, pots and pans will inspire children of either gender to slip into the make believe world of imaginative play.
A play kitchen set, complete with accessories, will provide hours of fun for your child. Even you, as parents, will likely be invited to a few intimate tea parties and succulent dinners…all pretend, of course! Play kitchens come as “complete” as regular kitchens, and you can purchase accessories, like toy microwaves, dining sets, and even pretend grocery stores, with shopping baskets, scales, and even a cash till so your child can learn math and how to use money.