Pretend Play - From Words To Adventure
- jacq0215
- Dec 18, 2025
- 2 min read
Why?
Pretend play is a vital part of early childhood development. It helps kids develop language, social skills, and creativity. Through make believe, children learn to express themselves, take turns, and understand others- all while having fun.
1 -Year: Pretend Phone Calls.
Give your little one a toy phone or safe household item (remote or hairbrush). Sit with them and chit-chat with them, make sure to pause and wait for them to “respond.”
Supports: early vocal play, social turn-
2 -Year: Kitchen Cafe
Use toy food, empty containers, or real utensils to set up a pretend cafe in your kitchen. Take turns being the chef/customer. While narrating what you are doing. Use simple words like “hot, cold, eat, more.”
Supports: vocabulary, turn taking & social routines
3 - Year: Mini Grocery Store
Set up a play area with empty boxes, cans, baskets. Take turns being the shopper/cashier. Use a notepad or pretend money to “buy” items. Ask questions like “What do you want to buy?” or “How many apples?”
Supports: naming objects, counting, and asking/answering questions.
4 - year: Stuffed Animal Vet
Use dolls or stuffies as patients. Pretend to check their temperatures, put on band- ids, or give medicine. Using toy doctor kit or household items Talk through steps, “Is our teddy feeling better? what should we look at next?”
Supports: storytelling, empathy, and sequencing-
5 - Year: Act Out a Story
Choose a favorite story and read it together. Then take turns acting out the scenesusing voices, props, or costumes. Encourage them to add their own ideas and what happens next. Ask questions!
Supports: comprehension, narrative skills, and creativity
Additional Resources:
“The Importance of Pretend Play”
by Sandra Heidemann & Devorah Hewitt