Dramatic play, pretend or make-believe is very important in early childhood and starts to show up in children’s play in the toddler years. This kind of play is enjoyable for children and also extremely valuable for their development.
Children play out scenes with emotional weight. They cast themselves in adult roles. Instead of being the baby being tucked into bed, they are the parent doing the tucking in and reassuring. Instead of being the child getting a shot, they are the doctor giving the shot. This helps children come to terms with their feelings in such situations. When a child doesn’t have much power in real life, being powerful in pretend play has great appeal.
Emotional
Children who have had much experience taking on different roles are better at empathy. They practice this skill when they engage in role-play.
Social
Dramatic play develops friendships.
Language
Children begin to practice language skills when they play make-believe together. They learn new words, gestures and facial expressions to communicate. Children who have had a lot of experience playing out their own scenes and stories are better able to follow the story line, or plot, in a book.
Cognitive
Children learn the use of symbols in their play. Toys are symbols of real objects, they represent something the child has seen. A steering wheel for instance will prompt a child to a certain kind of play. Later she might use a paper plate as a steering wheel or just move her hands in a steering motion. When children have had lots of experience creating and using their own symbols in play they will be better prepared for using other peoples symbols, like letters and numbers.
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