Dramatic Play

Is Your Child Playing You as Mommy or Daddy?

Pretending is an important type of play for young children. Often, they use pretend play to test out specific skills, behaviors, and actions they've observed in others. Pretend play probably started simply, with your child holding a phone his ear to "talk" to someone, or putting a shirt on his head, pretending it's a hat. Now that your child is three to four years old, his pretend play scenarios can become a lot more complex and rich in narrative. One of the scenarios you may see your child play out over and over again is that of being "mom" or "dad." You may see him rock his dolls to sleep or make believe that he's feeding them. You may even hear him repeat some of the things you say! Be sure to encourage this type of play - it's helping your child develop his vocabulary, problem-solving ability, and various social emotional skills.

Has your child achieved the following Dramatic Play milestones yet? If yes, check off all of the skill(s) he has already mastered to date.