Through my work as an Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant (SLPa), I have seen firsthand how pretend play serves as an important tool for children's development. Thus, I decided to outline some of the skills that pretend play nurtures.
1. Communication Skills
During pretend play, children often demonstrate more advanced language skills than they typically use in everyday situations (Han et al., 2010). This makes sense as pretend play prompts the use of conversational scripts and new words. Furthermore, symbolic play—using one object to represent another—has been linked to the development of both expressive and receptive language skills (Lewis et al., 2000).
2. Social Skills
Research suggests that pretend play promotes the development of social skills, such as cooperation (Li et al., 2016). Pretend play is also associated with positive changes in children’s perspective thinking (Smits-van der Nat et al., 2024). By playing games like “doctor” and “kitchen,” children learn to collaborate with others, negotiate rules, and take turns.
3. Emotional Skills
Pretend play provides opportunities to practice emotional skills. Research suggests that emotional knowledge and regulation skills are more advanced in young children who participate in more frequent pretend play (Galyer & Evans, 2001). 4. Creativity
Researchers have found a connection between pretend play and creativity (Russ & Wallace, 2013). During pretend play, children use creativity to create roles, transform objects, compose stories, express emotions, and recall memories (Russ & Wallace, 2013). Overall, pretend play promotes creative expression and creative problem-solving.
References
Galyer, K. T., & Evans, I. M. (2001). Pretend play and the development of emotion regulation in preschool children. Early Child Development and Care, 166(1), 93-108.
DOI:10.1080/0300443011660108
Han, M., Moore, N., Vukelich, C., & Buell, M. (2010) Does Play Make a Difference?: How play intervention affects the vocabulary learning of at-risk preschoolers, American Journal of Play. 3(1), 82-105.
Lewis, V., Boucher, J., Lupton, L., Watson, S. (2000). Relationships between symbolic play, functional play, verbal and non-verbal ability in young children. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 35(1), 117–127. DOI: 10.1080/136828200247287
Li, J., Hestenes, L. L., & Wang, Y. C. (2016). Links between preschool children’s social skills and observed pretend play in outdoor childcare environments. Early Childhood Education Journal, 44, 61-68. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-014-0673-2
Russ, S. W., & Wallace, C. E. (2013). Pretend play and creative processes. American Journal of Play, 6(1), 136–148.
Smits-van der Nat, M., van der Wilt, F., Meeter, M., & van der Veen, C. (2024). The value of pretend play for social competence in early childhood: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 36(2), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09884-z Written By: Marlinda Progri
SLPa
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