{"id":2449,"date":"2016-01-25T15:23:48","date_gmt":"2016-01-25T15:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.littlebird.co.uk\/blog\/?p=2449"},"modified":"2018-08-20T10:49:44","modified_gmt":"2018-08-20T10:49:44","slug":"adults-go-for-1p-at-kidzania-westfield-a-fantastic-way-to-engage-your-kids-in-imaginative-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.littlebird.co.uk\/blog\/2016\/01\/adults-go-for-1p-at-kidzania-westfield-a-fantastic-way-to-engage-your-kids-in-imaginative-play\/","title":{"rendered":"Adults go for 1p at Kidzania Westfield! A Fantastic Way to Engage your Kids in Imaginative Play!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever had that moment where you\u2019ve spent ages looking for a present for a child and when they open it they\u2019re more interested in the box than the toy inside? Good! Your child\u2019s engagement in imaginative play is something that is going to help them learn skills and emotional maturity in a way that nothing else can. Play is all about exploration, imagination, spontaneity, discovery and creativity. It is a lifelong skill that builds and satisfies curiosity, broadens the way that your kids think and reduces stress. “Imaginative play fosters creativity and helps children explore the world,” says child psychologist David Elkind, Ph.D., author of\u00a0The Power of Play <\/i>\u00a0“Children sometimes feel weak in comparison to adults, but when they engage in it they take the role of adults and heroes.”<\/p>\n

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Communication<\/em> \u2013 <\/b>Imaginative play provides children with opportunities to develop speech and language abilities while practicing listening. Whether they\u2019re playing with a friends\/ sibling or by themselves children talk and listen while playing.<\/p>\n

Relationships<\/em> \u2013 <\/b>Imaginative play\u00a0also promotes social skills, interaction and competence. Through their play experiences children learn (whether they\u2019re playing with their parents or their friends) how relationships work. Harvard developmental psychologist Paul Harris, PhD writes in his book The Work of the Imagination<\/i> that “Children’s role-play suggests that they can enact what people might do in a given situation by a process of simulation: They imagine themselves in that same situation and act vis-\u00e0-vis that imaginary situation,” he writes in his book. “For example, when pretending to be Mother, the child pretends to be confronted by a crying baby, and ministers to it accordingly.”<\/p>\n

Cognitive Development<\/em> \u2013 <\/b>It is astounding how much imaginative play can help the brain to develop in more functional and positive ways. Children who play this way have a more sophisticated level of interaction with others and with their environment. According to Justin Coulson Ph.D (a relationships and parenting expert) the research shows that those who played imaginary games with their parents had \u201cgreater levels of imagination and cognitive ability\u201d compared to those who didn\u2019t. They also experienced a more secure attachment to their parents and enjoyed more positive development while engaging in other activities and experienced positive school engagement. These all lead to positive mental health, stronger friendship networks and greater family closeness.<\/p>\n

\"KIDZANIA\"<\/a><\/p>\n

That\u2019s why after hearing about all these amazing ways imaginative play can promote children’s well-being we\u2019ve teamed up with Kidzania<\/a> in Westfield to make sure you have access to this one of a kind play area that is specifically designed to foster your child\u2019s imaginative play. <\/b><\/em>Their 75,000sq.ft child-sized city uses a \u201cunique blend of education and fun \u2013 lets children explore new concepts, try new things, problem solve, and work together as a team.\u201d Here your kids can be a pilot, a fire-fighter or the next award-winning singer. Each role-play experience is crafted to teach kids essential like skills including financial literacy, team work and independence.<\/p>\n

Through LittleBird, Adult Entry (over 15’s) will only cost 1p!\u00a0(You will need to purchase tickets for your children as well)<\/a>
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Or if you\u2019re looking for ways to engage your child in imaginative play in the home then there are a million simple ways to get their imagination running wild. We\u2019ve found that the easiest way is to have a few props for them to start with.<\/p>\n

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