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It's possible that pretend play is starting to become a regular part of your toddler's fun. As they whizz round the house, starting one thing and then another, you might see signs of new thoughts and ideas weaving into their play. It’s around now that your toddler’s understanding of the world is beginning to grow and expand, and they’re increasingly able to absorb the things they see and hear around them. 

For the most part of their lives, your toddler will have spent their time playing with you and other family members. 

When your child begins to pretend not only does this give you new things to do when you play together, it also provides fantastic opportunities for their development. Your toddler won’t be imagining fire-breathing dragons or superheroes yet, but they are beginning to recreate familiar situations. So, why is this beneficial? 

For some time now, your child has been learning about themselves, other people and potentially beings from other worlds. It is becoming easier for them to take on the most amazing imaginative superhuman powers, transforming themselves smoothly into a completely new being in no time at all. 

This all happens as they've mastered language, social and cognitive skills, which mean they can play imaginatively for longer stretches of time – sometimes maybe even playing the same game across a few days.   

Hearing your child using language that takes you by surprise (in a good way!) is fantastic. When your child’s imaginative play starts to include new words and language driven by words heard in stories, on TV, life experiences and in conversations, it ignites a new level of play, language and communication. 

Stories and books are great for introducing language and themes, helping fuel imaginative play. 

Children are on a continual journey of discovery and exploration. Your child is still discovering who they are and what they think, but they are beginning to understand that other people have ideas and do different things. You might spot this when your child pretends to be someone else when they play. 

They may say a phrase you’re not familiar with or you’ll hear them pretending to be Grandma; this is them exploring other people’s thoughts and ideas. 

Scientists are researching fantasy play and the effect it can have on a child’s cognitive and creative abilities. They are investigating if pretend play, and particularly ‘fantastical pretend-play', helps children to develop their executive function skills: those that help us to think and solve problems.  

Typically, children start their imaginative play based on real experiences; as a toddler they might have made a cup of tea or pretended to be a family pet. 

We know play supports your toddler to develop a range of skills, but over the years there have been debates among scientists about exactly how. Make-believe play is something we often take for granted, perhaps as our children hand us a ‘cup of tea’; but how does pretending help your toddler learn about the world? We’ve looked at how three psychologists and their ideas about this kind of play answer the question.  

Sigmund Freud – neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis (early 20th Century)