Pretend Play: Why is it Important to Children
Pretend play, also known as make-believe play, imaginative play or creative play, is when children play as if something is real. Children engaging in pretend play try to create a situation that literally occurs, using gestures, props and language. Pretend play requires complex thinking as children must understand what is really happening in a situation so they can reenact it. Pretend play could look like playing shops, cooking, mums and dads, playing with trucks in a sandpit or mud or having a tea party.