The Power of Pretend Play

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There is just so much value in the power of pretend play!  Pretending requires imagination.  Webster defines imagination as “the ability to form a picture in your mind of something that you have not seen or experienced; the ability to think of new things.”  A few weeks ago my high school aged Girl Scouts set up an event for younger girls to teach them (and as it turned out their moms) the power of pretend play.  This post is sponsored by Great Pretenders.  My troop and I dearly appreciate their support for this experience.

Power of Pretend Play and Imagination for Child Development

With an old fashioned trunk loaded with dress-up clothes and accessories from Great Pretenders, we packed up the car and headed to the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park.  While there, the girls spent a couple of hours with elementary (grades K-5) girls at a cookout in the woods.  The trunk was opened up and the clothes spread out.  As the younger girls arrived with their moms, they slowly gravitated towards the trunk and asking, “Can we put these on?”  It didn’t take long and the clothes were all on girls running in and out of the trees, singing, dancing and pretending.  The power of pretend play in children has proven in studies to stimulate the imagination. There is also indication that having a good imagination can translate into more creativity as an adult.

The high school girls shared their lessons learned from this amazing opportunity to be in nature and create a world transformed for a bit by pretend play.  I am excited to share their lessons with you as we can all learn from each other.  These are my two girls and me at the cookout.  They showed such leadership and love through this entire experience. I am so proud of them.

High School Girl Scout 1:  I learned that we are never too old to pretend.  Dressing up is actually still really fun.  Running around dressed like a unicorn being chased by a first grade fairy ended up in so much laughing.  It just felt really good.

High School Girl Scout 2:  I learned that my little sister felt more powerful when she was wearing a cape.  She talked about herself with so much pride.  It felt good to remind her that she is amazing with and without the costumes.

High School Girl Scout 3:  I learned that some moms really need to loosen up and let their daughters pretend.  They tried to control which things would match, like the tutus and crowns.  It was awesome when those moms went away and the girls could just totally make believe.  I am not going to be that kind of mom.

High School Girl Scout 4:  I learned that it feels freeing to play.  I try so hard to be mature.  It was easier to play because there were little kids around.  I want to get dress up clothes to take when I babysit.

High School Girl Scout 5:  I learned that little girls look up to me, with or without dress up clothes on.  But it was more fun to play with a wand in my hand.  It was like having magic.

If you want to create an awesome and amazing experience for kids, you can get these clothes at Great Pretenders.  They have a HUGE, fabulous assortment of pretend and play clothes, accessories and items.  I had the pleasure of meeting the founder last week in Pittsburgh and simply feel honored to have the opportunity to partner with her and Great Pretenders to bring magic to the girls in my life.

Great Pretenders won Best Toy for Role Play 2019 at ASTRA (American Specialty Toy Retailing Association).

The dragon/knight cape is totally stunning.  It was chosen by a kiddo for the fashion show I recently organized for Beyond the Blackboard.  You can read all about that HERE.

YAY!  Yay for older girls supporting the younger ones.  Yay for accessing imginations.  Yay for partnering with amazing companies to share this experience.  Just YAY all around.

Cheers,
Laura

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