Last Updated on October 3, 2023 by Editorial Team
A child’s Imagination knows no bounds. In an imagination, a child can be anything, from a cook to a teacher or an astronaut, and interestingly, a child will not only imagine being a cook, astronaut, or teacher, but a child will also pretend to be one by acting similarly. In other words, children pretend and believe to be cooks, teachers, or astronauts and behave like them.
Pretend games which are often confused with imaginative play are two different things. Pretend play involves pretending to be someone else by behaving similarly whereas imaginative play involves imagining the scenarios. Pretend play is common among young children and children begin engaging in pretend play from 11 months to 18 months and it can last up to several years. Pretend play occurs in various stages and represents the children’s thought patterns and helps in cognitive development and establishing a sense of self in the children.
Let’s see some examples of pretend play that toddlers engage in.
Pretend play examples: A route to understanding child’s imagination
1. Dressing like the parents and behaving in a similar way
Toddlers often dress up like their mothers, fathers, or siblings and pretend to be like them. Girls often dress up like their mothers and cook food or care for the house, whereas boys dress up like their fathers and pretend to go to the office or read the newspaper.
2. Pretending to be a teacher and teaching a class
Pretending to be a teacher and teaching a class is another common example of pretend play. Children dress up like their teachers and teach an imaginary class of their friends, siblings, or even toys.
3. Pretending to be a doctor and diagnosing the patients
Children pretend to be a doctor and diagnose either their toys, like dolls, or their friends or siblings. Children even write fake prescriptions or feed their patients fake medicine like sweet water.
4. Pretending to be a chef in a restaurant
Young children dress up like chefs, prepare food, and serve their customers. Children often ask their parents or siblings to be their customers, or their toys, like dolls, stuffed animals, etc., become their customers.
5. Pretending to be a host or a member of a tea party
Hosting a tea party or being a member of a tea party is another common example of pretend play. Children prepare tea, serve it to the other members, which usually are the toys, and drink the tea with them.
6. Pretending to be an astronaut and exploring space
Children pretend to be astronauts and fly to space in a fake cardboard spaceship and search for aliens. Children even pretend to be stuck in spaceships or talking to aliens.
7. Dressing like a superhero and pretending to be saving the world
Children dress up like their favorite superheroes and behave like them. Children pretend to save the world or fight bad people to save the good.
8. Pretending to be a princess or Barbie and dressing up like one.
Children easily get influenced by what they see, such as princesses or superheroes. Children often dress up like princesses or princes, live in a castle, or dance together.
9. Pretending to be a singer in the concert
Children pretend to be superstars and perform in their imagined concerts. Children use toy guitars or other musical instruments and act for their stuffed toys or other toys.
10. Pretending to be a police officer
Young children dress up like police officers and pretend to be police officers by helping society or catching up the thieves. They even sit in their imagined police station and help people.
11. Pretending to be a detective
Children pretend to be a detective, solve mysteries, follow other people who are generally their friends or siblings or find missing people like their stuffed toys. Children dress up like a detective with long black coats and glasses.
12. Pretending like an animal in their animal kingdom
Children pretend to be their favorite animal living in their animal kingdom or farm with other animals, either their stuffed toys or their friends. Children even make sounds of the animals and behave like them.
Why pretend play is important?
Pretend play is not only a fun game for children but also helps develop the children in multiple ways. Pretend play is important for
1. Cognitive development
Children from a very young age actively explore their environment and try to make sense of the things surrounding them. Pretend play helps in gradual cognitive development in children and facilitates the thought process. Pretend play is found to be associated with the development of symbolic thinking and counterfactual thinking, an important aspect of cognitive development[1]. Additionally, pretend play also helps in the development of the theory of mind.
2. Language development
Language development occurs gradually in multiple stages. Pretend play facilitates achieving Different milestones of language development. When children engage in pretend play, they talk to themselves or their toys, resulting in improved language. The development of semantic organization is found to be associated with pretend play[2]. Additionally, using syntax in the language and combining two or more words during the use of language is also associated with pretend play.
3. Creativity
Children are highly creative and pretend play is an example of that. Children not only show their creativity through pretend play but their creativity is also reinforced by pretend play. Encouraging children to pretend helps them express themselves and their emotions.
4. Viewing things from different perspectives
Pretend play helps children view things or situations from different perspectives. While engaging in pretend play, children overcome Centration and consider others’ thoughts and views.
Concluding thoughts
Pretend play is a highly crucial type of game that not only entertains children but helps in their growth and development. Young children often pretend to like someone else and behave in a way similar to that person. Pretend play has various cognitive advantages. Hence, parents should encourage their children to engage in playing pretend games and let their creativity run free.
References
- Weisberg, D. S. (2015). Pretend play. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 6(3), 249-261. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.1341
- Hà, T. A. (2020). Pretend Play and Early Language Development—Relationships and Impacts: A Comprehensive Literature Review. Journal of Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022057420966761
I am Sehjal Goel, a psychology student, and a writer. I am currently pursuing my Masters’s from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Child psychology has always fascinated me and I have a deep interest in learning about disabilities in children and spreading awareness regarding the same. My other areas of interest are neuropsychology and cognitive psychology. Connect me on Linkedin