Role-playing builds kids' creativity, esteem - #lakewoodnews

Role-playing helps young children prepare for new experiences. It provides vocabulary to help them express concerns and be more confident. Role-play preparation often takes less than 10 minutes for busy families.

Gather some chairs, a large wooden spoon for a microphone, a table, bed sheet, clothes and hats for costumes.

If you plan to take your children to a new place in the community, practice first at home by creating a little play. Children have amazing talents and creativity. The "theater" doesn't need to be fancy.

Choose common activities

Some situations you might play-act include: riding the bus, opening presents and saying "thank you" at parties, taking turns, going to the doctor or dentist, grocery shopping, banking, riding on an airplane, going to a nursing home, to church, getting a haircut, riding a train, going to a restaurant or school concert, sports event or movie.

Children like to role-play bus trips and later go on a real one. They can set up chairs for the driver, passengers and include dolls and stuffed animals. They put on jackets and hats for costumes and take along backpacks, snacks, stuffed animals, a schedule, map and fare. Some of the passengers may have poor sight, use a cane or be in a wheelchair.

Talk through what will happen and what rules are needed for safety and courtesy. They can give the fare to the driver and practice courtesy by smiling and saying, "Hello." They can practice entering and leaving the bus, sitting and saying "thank you" to the driver when they leave.

The courteous driver can use a pretend microphone to announce landmarks and greet passengers.

After the role-playing on the bus, children can sing "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round."

Increase confidence

Adults sometimes forget there is a whole new world out there every time children go somewhere for the first time. Role-playing at home helps children feel more secure and build vocabulary later used for reading. Discussion before experiences helps prevent fears and tears.

Children will enjoy taking pictures or drawing illustrations of the role-playing. Add a few captions, staple the pages together and you have books to share with relatives. Young children can dictate a story while an adult writes very short sentences with correct capital and lower case printing.

Visit Children's museums. They have many fantastic opportunities to role-play. During your next library visit, search for Berenstain Bears books by Stan and Jan Berenstain. They have many first-time experience books. At home, act out some favorite books, videos or stories. Include stuffed animals that talk with creative voices.

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