Imaginative Play: 25 Awesome Imagination Boosters for Kids

My son loves a good afternoon craft session, and I’m always on the lookout for projects that will prompt pretend play to expand his imagination. Role playing and storytelling are the keys to imaginative play (otherwise known as pretend play) and I’ve noticed that the more I encourage my son to make up and tell stories based on his experiences, the more his social skills improve.  It’s been a really effective way to help him break through his tendencies to be shy or hide behind me when people talk to him. The more I encourage him to tell stories that he makes up, the more chatty he becomes all around.

Encouraging imaginative play doesn’t have to be this tricky or expensive endeavor. Sometimes all it takes is for me to break out the crayons and paper and have him tell me a story that he’s made up. But when he’s not in the mood for drawing, I turn to a few other activities that are easy to throw together for little-to-no cost.

Here are a few awesome activities for kids that encourage imaginative play. Some are for kids to make themselves, and some require you to lend a hand to make the magic happen. Check them out in the slideshow.

More Creative Crafts for Kids:

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