What I love about role play is that a child can take on any character that they choose and experiment and explore what it is like to be in that role. Through play, it is a comfortable and safe space to explore and learn about the different roles in the world around them. For children, this is a deep, meaningful, and real learning experience.
An example is when a child is role playing being a doctor in our hospital. They are using all of their knowledge of what a doctor does in their play and when they are role playing, they are the doctor. It is a real experience for them and a huge amount of learning is taking place. Or when they are being a café assistant in our café, they are using all of their knowledge that they know from visiting cafés and putting it into a real life experience.
To be able to test out different roles and experiences through role play is an amazing opportunity for children. It Is a chance for children to use their knowledge, test and experiment with it and explore their own interests and preferences in a play based environment that they are comfortable in.
So, when you see your child role playing a character of their choosing, take a look at how they are playing and the amount of learning that is taking place, it is truly magical to watch!
Written by Becky Hoare, Franchisor of Pop Up Play Village
