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One child cares for the baby while the other child plays sister and another child plays dad.
The cooperation children learn and how they work together is truly amazing.
There is no adult lecturing that will teach these same skills as efficiently and as easily as unstructured pretend play.
I had the purest delight one summer as I watched two of my 3 year olds marry one of my 5 year olds.
The kids threw a huge wedding complete with flower girls.
Those three marched down the isle and gave their vows to one another.
The children's pretend play didn't stop there.
The children took it to a whole new dimension several hours later when they returned home, packed their bags, and informed their parents they were off for their honeymoon in Canada.
Later as the summer wore on and they tired of this game, the children decided it was time to get a divorce.
This clearly shows how closely children watch the world around them and attempt to figure out what everything means in pretend play.
The emotions are not as intense in pretend play as in real life.
It is easier for children to learn what is happening in their lives when pretending.
These unstructured, pretend play scenarios brought about in free play, lay the foundation on which children can discover the world around them, deal with emotions they do not understand, and discover the answers they need.
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