Ever since they were born, Baby has learned by watching the people around them. As they grow into toddlerhood, you’ll probably find that they still are, and that they're more interested in toys that imitate activities they see you doing. Imitation might seem like a strange place for imagination to grow, but the ability to see their toy kitchen as equal to the place their dinner comes from, or their push-car to the vehicle you use to drive them to daycare in is the first way many children start to use their imaginations.
Some of these early pieces of imaginary play can and should be things Baby does on their own, but now and then, a little involvement from you might be exactly what Baby’s imagination games need. You can join them in the play kitchen and ask them questions about the menu, or take a “car” trip with them on the couch, and talk to them about the sights you might be driving past. You can encourage their development as they enter the land of make-believe by letting them take the lead, and by not providing a structured set of rules. You’ll learn a lot about their perspective on the world, and will have plenty of laughs along the way as they surprise you with their point of view.
