Play is one of the most important occupations in a child’s life and pretend play is the highest level of play ability. Pretend play provides opportunity for children to build creativity and imagination and supports their social and emotional development. Through pretend play, children also build their language and communication as well as develop their thinking and problem-solving skills.
The following information is based off the Pretend Play Enjoyment Developmental Checklist by Karen Stagnitti.
Pretend play involves in number of different skills including:
- Play Scripts – The stories and narratives that are produced in the play
- Object Substitution – Pretending that an object is something else eg. A paper is used as a blanket
- Doll/Teddy Play – Playing with a doll, teddy or something outside ourselves and imposing meaning on it. Doll/teddy is a general term but can relate to any toy that is pretending to be alive like a truck, care or soft toy etc.
- Role Play – Taking on a role or character of another
- Social Interaction – Playing with others during the pretend play
Development of pretend play skills begin right from birth with significant development occurring between 12 months to 5 years.
6-12 months (Pre-Pretend Play):
- Child manipulates and explores objects and uses repetitive actions to show interest in routines such as putting objects in and out of a container
- Child watches and imitates people making familiar gestures
12 – 19 months
- Child places a doll so that the head is upright and vertical to the ground
- Child performs 1 action with doll or teddy e.g., hugging doll
- Play scripts are to do with the body like eating and sleeping e.g., pretending to drink from a cup
- One simple imaginative action in play that is quick and repeated e.g., talking on pretend phone
- Child continues to manipulate and explore objects and shows understanding of the functional use of objects
- Child copies an action of an adult and carriers out simple actions that they have previously seen e.g., eating or drinking
19-23 months
- Scripts reflect daily activities in the home e.g., sweeping floor, washing dishes
- Child uses 2-3 similar actions that may be illogical and repeated
- Uses similar looking object for needed object e.g., using a paper is a blanket
- Child puts doll on chair or in bed and may relate actions to the doll but their actions are single separate actions
- Child carries out simple actions they have previously seen
- Child imitates an adult using an object and can copy them using an object substitution
24 – 29 months
- Scripts reflect activities inside and outside the home as well as body scripts. They show the child’s own life experience such as going to the shops or visiting family
- Child can complete 2-3 simple and spontaneous actions that are logical. For example, pouring milk, stir the milk then drink.
- Child uses an object for two different purposes e.g., a box as a bed and car
- Child sees a doll/teddy as being alive. Gives more attention to the doll and understands that the doll can do things
- Child can imitate another child and copies the characteristics of another person, for example they dance because another person dances
- Child asks adults for objects needed in play and can search for a missing object
- Child can play beside another child and observe what they are doing
30 – 35 months
- Play scripts reflect less frequently experiences personal events such as going to the doctor
- Play actions are spontaneous, more detailed and logical. They include longer sequences of 4-5 actions
- Child uses the same object for multiple different functions such as a box for a car, bed, bath etc.
- Child can use a more abstract doll for example a peg as a person. They can place the doll in the car as a driver and can identify with the doll e.g., “I eat like that”
- Child can do a short imitation of some else and can indicate they are someone else e.g., a mother or doctor
- Child is interested in what other people are doing and want to join in. Play beside other children.
36 – 41 months
- Play scripts start to expand beyond personal experience and may include ideas from movies, TV shows, book characters etc.
- Play actions involves multiple spontaneous sequences which can last up to 15 minutes
- Child can use many different objects to create a new play item for example using blocks to make a train
- A doll or toy is more active in play now and can have emotions. A child can fully utilize multiple rooms of a dolls house
- Child indicates a role is being played and role play is fluid
- Children play associatively, so they are playing the same activity but beside each other, They may still be playing in their own play with little negotiation with the other children
42 – 47 months
- Like previously, play scripts may include fantasy scripts but now problems in play may appear such as a broken train or a sick doll
- Children start developing a play strategies by thinking about what to play and finding what is needed for the play prior to the play commencing
- Child starts referring to imaginary objects in play and uses their own body as art of the play, for example their arm as a fence
- Doll and teddy play continues to extend with the toy now displaying multiple emotions and being given personality characteristics
- Child can sustain spontaneous play for up to one hour throughout the course of the day using multiple different roles e.g., fairy, pirate, doctor etc.
- Child continues associative play
4 years
- Play scripts are carried over multiple days and now include sub plots and bigger problems to solve
- Child has spontaneous pre planned play actions with complex sequences
- Child uses objects with no physical similarity to represent other objects in play, e.g., using a hat as a boat
- A doll or special toy has a personality of its own and its own life including thoughts and feelings
- Child enacts multiple different roles in a play scene
- Child can now cooperate and negotiate with other children in play
5 years
- Play scripts include anything even if not personally experienced e.g., spaceships and pirates
- Play is highly organised and complex and can last over 2-3 weeks
- Child uses language to describe an object and its function. They can use any object and make up play with it
- The doll or special toy has its own life and the child uses language to describe what the doll is doing
- Child demonstrates more realistic role play and can maintain one role for the entire play scene
- Child can continue cooperative play with negotiation and the play is well organised within the group
If you have any concerns regarding your child’s pretend play development, please feel free to contact us on 02 9913 3823 or hello@occupationaltherapy.com.au.
For more information about Pretend Play milestones, see Karen Stagnitti’s Learn to Play website. https://www.learntoplayevents.com/.
