August 2013
MY KID IS A GOAT
Recently, my wife and I took our 21 month old son to the Berkshire Mountains to visit the Hancock Shaker Village. Here, they have a small farm for visitors to see how the Shakers used to live. Our son was intrigued with the cows, goats, pigs and chickens. And when the staff invited Conor into the field to play with the goats, Conor glowed. And after about three minutes in the pen, he turned into a goat himself.
"There is some indication that having a good imagination translates into more creativity as an adult. But even more intriguing--and the idea getting the most attention in labs these days--is a possible connection between pretend play and the ability to get along socially in the world. In particular, researchers are investigating whether pretend play facilitates the development of children's theory of mind--the ability to understand that others have thoughts and feeling all their own."
From an article in the American Psychological Association entitled "The Power of Pretending" by Beth Azar
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