Underwear on the head. That's all it takes to turn into a superhero with the power to leap over sofas and somersault off footstools into battle. Children just seem to be born knowing this.
What they don't know, however, is that while they're pretending to be superheroes, they're also working on important skills. When you pretend to be someone else, you have to think like someone else. This helps with the ability to see things from another point of view. When you have exciting adventures, even if they're only in your head, you practice predicting, putting events in order, thinking flexibly and solving problems -- necessary skills for both school and life.
Even if you're not up to dashing around with underwear on your head, you can still be part of your child's pretending by re-creating some of the events you read about in favorite picture books. Toddler reading helps connect words with experiences. This can be especially helpful for children who are concrete, hands-on learners. Sometimes the words of funny bedtime stories or classic children's books aren't enough for them. They need to act it out in order to understand.
Here are some simple suggestions to get you started. Once you get going with ideas like these, it's very easy to see possibilities in almost every book you read. Some popular children's books make it very easy for you.
Using Books for Toddlers
In "Curious George Rides a Bike," George folds up a sack of newspapers to make boats. There is even a page of directions on exactly how to make paper boats yourself. Pretend you're George. Follow the directions and make several boats. If you don't have a stream to sail your boats in, the bathtub will do just as well.
"Mouse Paint" provides a very satisfying, if messy, activity. The three little mice learn that when they mix red, blue, and yellow paint, they make other colors. You and your child can pretend you are the mice in the story. First, protect your floor with an old sheet or newspapers. Then put down large sheets of plain paper and dance across them, mixing blobs of paint with your bare feet. Of course, you can also do it with your hands or even the ordinary way, with a brush!
In "Best Friends for Frances," Frances and her little sister go on a picnic. You can pack the same kind of picnic Frances packed-with hard-boiled eggs, carrot and celery sticks, cream cheese and jelly sandwiches-or you can pack your own. The important thing is to have a "best friends" picnic.
Along the food theme, "Chicken Soup with Rice" makes great reading and great eating. While you have a bowlful, you can act out some of the things that happen each month, like slipping and sliding on the ice in January, or the wind roaring and blowing in March.
Finally, the book "Go, Dog Go!" asks many times "Do you like my hat?" This is the perfect opportunity for both of you to try on all the hats you can find and ask each other that question. If you have crayons, markers, paper plates, paper bags, streamers, balloons, etc., you can go all out and make your own special party hat, just like in the book. No matter how crazy, party hats are much less embarrassing than underpants!