Pretend play

What It Means

Pretend play is play in which a child acts as if something is real when it isn't: a block becomes a phone, a doll gets fed, a couch turns into a boat. It grows from simple copying of everyday actions in toddlersToddlerA child from 1 to 3 years old, the stage CDC's parenting guidance places between infancy and the preschool years. See more into whole roles and storiesUser storyA short description of something a product should do, written from the point of view of the person who needs it, often in the form "As a, I want, so that." See more in preschoolersPreschoolerA child from 3 to 5 years old, the age band the CDC uses for its preschool parenting guidance. See more. CDC's milestone checklists track it, and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) counts pretend play, especially with a parent and simple toys, among the most useful kinds of play for young children.

How Parents Say It

• "She served me pretend tea for twenty minutes."
• "He's a dog today and only answers to barking."
• "The banana is a phone now, apparently."

The Breakdown

Pretend play by age, from CDC's checklists

HealthyChildren.org, the AAP's site for parents, describes the years from 3 to 4 as a time when fantasy and imagination fill a child's world.

How to join in. Follow your child's lead and take the part you're given, even if it's the customer who orders the same pretend soup five times. Name what's happening ("You're cooking dinner for the bear"), and add a small twist when they're ready ("Oh no, the bear is hungry again").

When to talk to the doctor. CDC places each milestone at the age by which 75% or more of children reach it, so if your child isn't doing the pretend play item on the checklist for their age, or has stopped doing something they did before, mention it to your child's doctor.

Good to Know

Simple toys do the job. The AAP's 2019 clinical report on choosing toys found no evidence that electronic or interactive media match the benefitsBenefits packageEverything an employer offers on top of wages, such as health insurance, paid leave and a retirement plan, which can be worth thousands of dollars a year. See more of hands-on, creative and pretend play between parent and child with traditional toys. A dress-up box, dolls, toy dishes, blocks and a cardboard box are all pretend play toys. Check the age label for small parts before handing anything to a child who still mouths toys.

Related Terms and Categories

• Open-ended play

  Play with toys or materials that have no single right way to use them, like blocks, boxes or playdough, so the child decides what they become.

• Cooperative play

  Play in which children work together toward a shared goal, taking roles and following a plan, like building one fort or acting out one story together.

• Cognitive development

  How a child's learning, thinking and problem-solving grow, from finding a dropped toy to drawing shapes and counting.

• Developmental milestones

  Skills most children can do by a certain age, like rolling over or waving bye-bye. CDC places each at the age 75% or more of children reach it.

• Language development

  How a child learns to understand and use sounds, gestures and words, from early squeals to first words, two-word phrases and short stories.

• Unstructured play

  Play a child chooses and directs, with no adult-set rules, lesson or goal, like making up a game in the yard or building whatever comes to mind.

Parenting and child development