Your child loves to imitate your actions. This is both natural and foundational to the learning process. When your child role plays, he learns how to problem-solve and make sense of the world around him. Offer your child a range of dramatic play props and materials to foster a love for learning.

Dramatic play prop ideas:
- Collect old dishes, clothes, jewelry or other unused items.
- Recycle or reuse materials to make new props. For example, a PVC elbow makes a great play telephone.
- Save food packages for use in a pretend house or store.
- Inspire your child to be creative during pretend play by adding clay, playdough or other items that can be sculpted into anything.
- Cut out photos, characters from cereal boxes or drawings to create play people. Turn play people into puppets by taping on craft sticks.
- If you purchase toys, consider those that have multiple pieces and do not have batteries. These toys encourage greater creativity.
- Keep it organized. Label and use boxes, crates or other containers to sort, store and organize play props.
Help your child collect other items for role-playing as pirates, astronauts and even rock stars. Helping your child’s dramatic play collection grow will help your child’s imagination grow!

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