5 Imitation Games for Children

Children imitate everything their parents do. With that in mind, take note of these imitation games for children.

Reviewed and approved by the pediatrician Marcela Alejandra Caffulli.

Written by Maria del Mar Garcia Martin

Last update: 18 May, 2023

Children learn and discover through imitation. In this regard, putting themselves in the place of another person and developing their imagination are two of the many skills that the youngest members of the family can develop through games. They’re the first to simulate what their parents do from an early age and, later, they discover the world through other examples. So, what better way to teach and stimulate your children than through playful imitation games?

The imitation process in childhood

In childhood, assimilation processes prevail. That’s why, when children play, they make an effort to imitate what they see, and they take it very seriously, even if from the adult’s perspective it’s just a fantasy or they don’t understand the importance that these activities deserve for their child’s future growth.

Regarding usefulness, children don’t only imitate what’s useful or positive. At an early age, they often don’t distinguish between what’s beneficial and what’s harmful. For this reason, it’s the job of parents, caregivers, and those responsible for their children’s education to look for options that allow them to develop their personality and abilities through imitation games that are suitable for this purpose.

The best imitation games for children

Symbolic games, as stated in the following article published by Aula Infantil, are activities that become indispensable during childhood. They promote good cognitive, emotional, linguistic, motor, and intellectual development in the littlest ones in the house. Therefore, here are some options that will help strengthen all these areas. Take note!

1. The pointing game

To discover oneself, this activity is one of the most essential. The pointing game, with the help of a mirror, allows the child to look at themself while naming and pointing to the parts of their body, such as their head, eyes, nose, ears, hands, legs, feet, etc.

2. Musical gestures

Gestures are part of expressive language from birth. So much so that they’re protagonists in the conduction of a child’s first words, as they support communication. For example, before saying “no” for the first time, a child’s already able to set limits by shaking their head.

With this in mind, one of the musical activities that most attract the attention of children in the house is to take advantage of various songs and poems that inspire them to gesture with their hands, feet, face, or other parts of the body.

3. The train game

The train game consists of simulating the creation of a railroad with the participation of different players. The idea is perfect to take advantage of the psychomotor skills of little ones. And the best thing is that, as the months go by, different goals, difficulties, and objectives can be added. In this way, it’s an activity that can be adapted to any time of life and that also teaches children to work in a group. For this reason, we recommend carrying it out both at home and at school.

4. The game of professions, one of the most traditional imitation games for children

Little ones pretend to be cooks, hairdressers, nurses, housekeepers, waiters, astronauts, firemen, or any other type of profession. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they have a vocation for it and that they want to dedicate themselves to these activities when they grow up.

However, one thing’s clear: The imitation of all these professions teaches them to value each job and to let their imagination fly, with the illusion that all this entails. Moreover, it’s an incentive for them to experience what they like and what they don’t like, and to discover themselves in this learning process.

5. The animal game

There’s no better way to promote respect and love for living beings and nature. We recommend you carry out this imitation game for children, as they’ll learn all these important values to take care of the environment. To do so, just follow the steps below:

• Draw the chosen animals on a poster board or sheet of paper.
• The adult has to make the sound of the animal and the child has to repeat it.

With this activity, in addition to getting guaranteed laughs, children will learn to identify the animals that have been exposed. The best thing is that, as they grow, they can begin to call them by name. The imitation of their sounds will be a first step toward linguistic learning.

Benefits and fun are guaranteed with these imitation games for children

From the time children are young, the adults in their lives have the duty to establish imitation games that are useful for them. In this way, their creativity, development, and personality, among other capacities, will be strengthened. We hope you’ll practice these activities with them. Undoubtedly, there’s no better way than to spend quality time with family and friends.