Show 51: The Value of Pretend

WITH HALLOWEEN COMING people young and old are looking forward to dressing up and pretending to be something else for a day. Make believe is fun, silly, freeing and it’s also important to a young child’s social-emotional development. Many say that “Play is a child’s work” so just how do pretending, playing and imagining help us to grow up? We'll explore the value of make believe and look at play-based education philosophies and how flexing a young imagination is linked to empathy, self-control and better social skills throughout life.

IN-STUDIO GUESTS: Joining host Shana Sheehy in the studio are Dr. Robert Capuozzo, professor of Early Childhood Development at the University of Alaska Anchorage as well as the leader of the Saturdays with Dad parenting support group at Providence Medical Center, and Shona Strauser, Education Director at Perseverance Theater in Juneau.

In play a child is always above his average age, above his daily behavior; in play, it is as though he were a head taller than himself. As in the focus of a magnifying glass, play contains all developmental tendencies in a condensed form; in play, it is as though the child were trying to jump above the level of his normal behavior. - Lev Vygotsky

FEATURED STORIES:

• Play Therapy - Through telling stories or playing with toys, children in need of counseling are put more at ease through play. KTD Contributor Jessica Cochran reports.

• When I Was Young: Favorite pretend games - From putting on shows for mom and dad to saving the world from evil, adults told KTD Producer Sarah Gonzales what they made believe as children.

• Dr. KTD: Imaginary friends - Pediatrician Michelle Laufer is back to share her insights on your child's pretend playmates.