Recent brain research has convinced many parents of the importance of providing their children with stimulating early experiences--reading and talking to them and taking them on excursions. What parents often don't realize or value, however, is that preschool-aged children absorb those experiences and make sense of their world most effectively when engaged in imaginative play. Preschoolers who spend more time in dramatic play are more advanced not only in general intellectual development but also in their ability to concentrate for long periods of time.

So, if you're a parent who takes your child to class after class—including ballet, music or an academic preschool—and you think this schedule will provide the best brain-enriching experiences, you might reconsider. Instead, or in addition, do what you can to support your child's imaginative play by offering space, uninterrupted time and props to enhance that play.

Adults are often skeptical that play, which looks to them like merely a pleasant pastime, can really be the most stimulating thing children can do. Parents must understand that there's a big difference between how they and young children learn. For instance, if you're curious about what a doctor does in his work, you ask questions and read to gain an understanding of his occupation. Your preschooler doesn't learn as you do; she must pretend in order to comprehend.

Watch your children carefully to see the learning process: When siblings re-enact a trip to Mom's office, they work together remembering what they experienced, thus building their memory. In play, children practice and use new vocabulary in context. They'll speak of taking a doll's temperature and using a stethoscope; they'll pretend to use a copy machine, scanner and laptop computer. Such words, which don't apply to a child's real-life situations, might otherwise not come up for use.

Read on to learn other benefits of pretend play and ways you can enhance your child's imaginative-play experience.