Supporting Pretend Play

Top Tips from a Therapist

It is vital to a child's development to foster and develop an enjoyment of pretend and imaginative play

It is important for children to see models of how this can be done, so get stuck in and start pretending!

Toys that include role play or small figures are perfect for acting out simple stories.

If a child shows limitied imaginative play they may find it difficult knowing what to do next in their play. For example a child may repetitively stir an imaginary cooking pot but not progress the play sequence at all. Support the child to develop their play by adding the next step to the story (e.g. 'oh it looks ready! Shall we serve it up? I wonder who would like to eat it?')