Role Play and Pretend Play

You can use a wide range of items and objects to facilitate role play and pretend play. At school some of the most popular stations are the toy kitchen for making som tam and running a restaurant, the dress up box for transforming into a superhero or firefighter, and the tea set for hosting tea parties for friends and toys. This type of play can involve anything that your children can imagine and is most beneficial when child led without interference.

Role play involves taking on a defined role such as a teacher or doctor and imitating socially defined rules for this role, whereas pretend play is more loosely structured. Object substitution is very common in pretend play and can mean that an ordinary cardboard box can become a rocketship or a scarf can become a superhero cape. So let your imagination run wild and have fun playing make believe!

What they learn

Role play and pretend play are an important part of being a child and it gives us an insight into their minds. Children can use play to express their worries and emotions and can sometimes express themselves through play when they lack the vocabulary or understanding to do so with their words. Pretend play is the beginning of their development of essential social and cognitive skills. It helps them to view the world in a way that they can make sense of.

Ages

This activity is suitable for ages 18 months and above.