Make-believe vs Pretend play

My family recently took a not-so-like-us walk in the woods the other day. We just aren't hiking, walk in the woods, sort of people but we randomly ventured out the other day. Holding hands and checking things out, we flipped over fern leaves to gawk at all the spores underneath, we petted moss and avidly avoided spider webs. And then we came to a large tree with crazy growth ringing the trunk.

I got down at Margeaux's level and mentioned what a "great place for fairies" the ring of growth would be. She leaned in and we poked at the plants and moss and chatted about what the fairies might do and where they would play. And then we moved on to the next thing. A few days later she mentioned it to me in the car, "Remember the fairy tree we saw?"

Later that day I was running our conversation and the fairy tree through my brain and wondering about the difference between make-believe and pretend play with our children. Should I be fueling that make-believe side of her imagination with fairies? I happen to think it's good for them and I enjoy that kind of imaginative play, personally. I spent plenty of time in that world as a child. I had imaginary friends when I was young and Margeaux does too. "Dada and my son and my daughter" is a phrase she'll throw out when she's weaving a crazy story full of silliness and adventure. Those are her three imaginary friends. We've never squashed the idea of "Dada" sitting with us at dinner, ringing the doorbell at the house or joining us on trips. They are becoming less common so maybe she is outgrowing the phase.

I think the difference between imaginary play and pretend play is that some adults just don't get it. And some kids just don't play along with the same interest. Pretend play is easy - you have props like a play kitchen or a pot and you're cooking dinner. You have a baby doll and pretend to take care of it. But the imaginary play is one step further in the imagination spectrum to me. Is it a comfort zone thing that adults don't jump in and imagine as much with children as they do pretend play? Is it the knowledge that it will all fade away as she gets bigger along with the fairies, Santa and the Easter Bunny?

I know studies tend to explain imaginary play in a positive light and it's certainly age appropriate for my daughter at 3.5yp. I guess what I wonder is if I should not only join in but also ignite the little spark it takes to launch her into a world of fairies and make believe. Right now I say why not? (Besides, who else will want to make fairy houses with me?)

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