[friskeymama]

My son is 2 years and 5 months old and I have been quite surprised at how quickly this has come on.

For about the past month and a half we have had one of our favorite book characters hanging out with us (as well as a hippo family, frogs, lizzards, turtles and just about anything else you can imagine!) His name is Fix-It Duck (and if you don't have the book you should get it ...... its got a great rhythm to it!)

Some days a few will emerge and some days we have a whole zoo! They do everything from come to dinner with us (even when we eat out) to tinkle in the potty with us. He is starting to weave intricate stories about all of the friends and what they are doing.

However, it does not seem to be a "crutch" or have any negative associations. It is not something that he talks about all the time, but just along while he is playing he will update me as to what is going on with the gang. At the most I may have to go back and get a forgotten friend when we head to the car.

We don't watch any TV (especially cartoons) so I think that this may be his substitute. He is telling his own stories as opposed to watching them. We read lots of books and provide many props for imaginative play (dr kits, kings cape and crown, tool belt........)

I LOVE it and think it is absolutley adorable (and quite healthy as well.) However, I have had several other moms tell me that their children did not show this much interest until a much later age. I was just wanting to see what others have experienced.

 

[nikirj]

Oh, my 2.5 yo is pretty imaginative too. He pretends often to be different favorite characters, or different objects sometimes. He pretends things are other things, or that there are alligators on the floor (he LOVES alligators), or that there is a pool in the kitchen. He names non-toy objects (we have a coaster named Barbeque, and another named Lizard, and another named Cookie....) as well as his toys. He pretends that favorite characters are playing or doing things with him.

My DD, who is 4yo, has never really done any of this. I think it is an individual temperment thing.

 

[friskeymama]

Alligators must be A LOT of fun becuase that is another of my son's favorites! They play with the hippos quite frequently and they ALWAYS take baths with us!!!

I must say that it is qiute a lot of fun to see what his little mind will come up with!

 

[luckylady]

My DD is not quite 2-1/2 but has a wonderful imagination! I love to hear her little stories and who is visiting us and why. It's so adorable. I do let her watch TV, but only Barney and Sesame Street. On occasion Bear in the Big Blue House and JoJo on Disney but that's it. I think limiting TV really does help with imagination...

 

[moonshine]

DD is not quite 2.5, but has been getting into imaginative play for a little while now. Not so much playing characters, but "taking a shower," or making coffee in her kitchen, using toys or other objects for whatever she is creating at the moment. Feeding herself and her sister pretend food, etc. Very cute! She has watched TV very little in her life. I also was wondering if non-tv watching kids are more imaginative and earlier.

 

[Bearsmama]

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing about children who watch little or no tv. DS does watch, but ony for about 1.5 hour in the early am. Then, our tv is off for the remainder of the day. He makes up his own words,scenarios, etc. Our neighbor's kids watch NO tv at all (they are both older than DS) and are incredibly imaginative and resourceful. I'm so happy to see this happening...

 

[nikirj]

I also wonder about toys. My DS watches a lot of TV because of my morning sickness (shame). But I think a lot of his imagination stems from not having brain-closing toys - we don't have 'interactive' toys (plastic push-a-button-get-a-response crap).

 

[comet]

Oh yeah, lots of imagination here. And it did seem to switch on, at least the play acting did.

Last week I came to find her playing with two dinosaurs. She had them pressed together in what I assumed was mortal combat. I asked her "were they fighting?" I mean - don't all kids' dinosaurs fight???? I was so surprised when she said in a gentle, quiet way "No, they are hugging".