Imaginative Play Summary
It is essential to provide children with experiences that encourage them to use their imagination. This will also foster life skills such as creativity, communication, and decision making.
Cognitive Benefits
Play situations will encourage independence in a child while developing problem solving skills (Kammler, 2017).
Play among other children will foster communication and language skills (Kammler, 2017).
Social and Emotional
Imaginative play with caregivers can provide a bonding experience (Legg & Knisley, 2020).
Play can increase emotional competence through practice of negotiation and sharing skills (Legg & Knisley, 2020).
Play provides a platform for the expression and exploration of feelings (Allen & Cbis, 2015).
Children develop skillsets that promote growth in social-emotional, language, executive function, and prosocial behaviors when they play with caregivers and peers (Yogman, et al., 2018).
At Home Strategies
Create a container full of hats, scarves, old dresses and suits, wigs, gloves and glasses. 
Assemble a container with plastic flowers, cups, old phones, empty paper towel rolls, and old stuffed animals.
If a child struggles to come up with ideas for imaginative play, create a jar filled with various scenarios written on paper. Pull a different strip of paper each day.
Inspire imaginative play by taking children to new places such as walking trails, library, parks, beach, or restaurants. This will provide you with opportunities to build new vocabulary.
Reading to your child on a daily basis will also inspire new ideas and build vocabulary.
References
 Allen, S. L., & Cbis. (2015, March 4). How does play promote social-emotional learning? Retrieved June 4, 2020, from https://www.inquirer.com/philly/blogs/healthy_kids/How-does-play-promote-social-and-emotional-learning.html 
Kammler, A. (2017, February 27). The Power of Play: The cognitive benefits of playtime for preschoolers. Retrieved June 4, 2020, from https://www.parenttoday.org/the-power-of-play-the-cognitive-benefits-of-playtime-for-preschoolers/ 
Legg, T. & Knisley, K., (2020). Ready, Set, Pretend: Ideas for Imaginative Play. Retrieved from, https://www.healthline.com/health/childrens-health/imaginative-play 
Yogman, M., Garner, A., Hutchinson, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. (2018). The power of play: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (142)3: e20182058.

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