by the UKfamily team
Play is one of the most important day-to-day tasks for your child's development. Here's how her play skills develop as she grows
Four years
In the year up to their fourth birthday, children make a huge transition, moving from parallel play to a much more interactive form of play with others. When engaging in pretend play with other children, your child will learn about co-operation and sharing, and role-playing is an important way for pre-schoolers to attempt to understand the adult world.
Talking aloud as they direct their own actions or those of other children is a way of sharpening their language skills, while devising their own pastimes and accomplishing self-imposed tasks are real confidence-boosters. Play also affords children the opportunity to act out their feelings.
- ENJOY OUTINGS... A parent's role in play begins with offering a variety of experiences and even a simple trip to the post office can be a source of fascination to a pre-schooler.
- JOIN IN... Even more important is your participation in your child's games. If you suggest a tea party, for example, and hold a cup to the doll's mouth, she's likely to mimic you, and you can go on from there.
Five years
At five, your child might start school. Adjusting to the reception class and all that goes along with the school experience is perhaps one of the biggest accomplishments of most five-year-olds.
Six years
While some six-year-olds are just preparing to enter reception, the majority have successfully adjusted to 'real' school and are now ready to conquer year one as they thrive on new friendships, figure out how the world works, and become independent.
