Pretend play helps kids learn and develop   by Eveline Gan     You invest in sophisticated learning software, the latest toys and gadgets, and go through flash card drills with Junior.   Experts, however, say there is a simpler, and less expensive, way to enhance your preschooler's development. And that's to let them play pretend - the good old fashioned way. Yes, you read that correctly.   Pretend play occurs when children use or do something to represent something else. Examples include pretending that a block is a car and zooming it around, whipping up a delicious meal with scraps of cardboard, or pretending to be someone else such as a doctor or a teacher.   "From experience, Singapore parents hardly view pretend play as important," said Lee Kong Meng, a senior speech therapist at the University Children's Medical Institute, National University Hospital.   "To them, they think it is better to let the child do other activities to hone their academic or literacy skills, such as reading or writing."   Recognising this worrying trend, NUH has organised a workshop to teach parents to play with their children.   According to Lee, this form of play is a natural development for children. It begins at around 18 months of age, and peters out by around five years old.   Whether it is "driving" a cardboard box around or having a tea party with soft toys, pretend play helps hone development skills, such as creativity, logical thinking, language and communication skills, said Lee.   "It may seem like the child is just playing, but he's actually building the foundation for skills like language and literacy. If you only put the child in a reading programme but do not let him play, he may not get that kind of stimulation he needs to develop well," said Lee.   The benefits increase when your toddler does it with a play mate. "The child picks up social skills and learn to emphasise with other kids," said Lee.   What if the child doesn't have a play mate of his age? Then parents ought to become their child's play mate.   "It builds bonding, and an adult's more advanced imagination and language skills may even benefit the child. But be sure to let the child take the lead," he said.   Lee offers some tips on how parents can engage in pretend play with their children. (see below)       Young tots   Play themes revolve around imitating daily life at home. You could get your little tot to pretend to cook, or feed and wash the doll.   Add conversation to play, use words at your child's level. For example, you could include comments and questions. "Oh my, dolly must be hungry. Shall we feed her?"       Older toddlers   Role-playing becomes more advanced. Plots start to have a sequence. Children this age also start pretending that certain objects are something else. For example, they may use "drive" a box around like a car. They may also pretend to be someone else, like a fire-fighter or a doctor.   Let your child take the lead in deciding the play theme. Expand on the theme by introducing things they have never experienced before. If fire fighting is the theme of the day, you could pretend to put out fire with a small water pistol.       Preschoolers   Include subplots into the main plot. For instance, if you're playing doctor with your child, you could get him to pretend to go for a check up, get an injection, pay the bill and then collect the medication, before heading home for a rest.           This article was featured in Today March 29, 2011. http://www.todayonline.com/Health/EDC110329-0000012/Not-just-childs-play