Today Tile Triggered Content

For some time now, your child has been learning about themselves, other people and potentially beings from other worlds. It is becoming easier for them to take on the most amazing imaginative superhuman powers, transforming themselves smoothly into a completely new being in no time at all. 

This all happens as they've mastered language, social and cognitive skills, which mean they can play imaginatively for longer stretches of time – sometimes maybe even playing the same game across a few days.   

“Play is a conduit through which children nurture the social and cognitive skills required to learn how to learn.”^[1] 

Early research took a rather negative view of children who had imaginary friends with suggestions that this could be linked to problems with social skills. In the 1940s book, The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, Dr Benjamin Spock suggested that if a child had an imaginary friend after the age of four, “a child psychiatrist, child psychologist or other mental-health counsellor should be able to find out what they are lacking.”^[1] You might be pleased to hear that recent research has shown a rather more positive impact of imaginary friends and you definitely don’t need to worry it’s a sign that your child is ‘lacking’ anything.  

We talk about imaginary friends; researchers describe imaginary companions – whatever we call them research has shown benefits of having one (or more!).