Symbolic play: learning through “pretend play”?
They observe, they internalize, they imitate. Symbolic play emerges naturally between 18 months and 2 years of age and marks a key stage in children’s development. What exactly does it involve? What are its benefits? How does it promote learning? Here are all the answers.
Is Doudou sick? We’ve got to take care of him right away! A little thermometer on his sewn-on mouth, a little band-aid on his fuzzy forehead. Is the kitchen table broken? Let’s hurry and fix it! The plastic screwdriver he got for Christmas comes into play. Preschoolers - and even children in kindergarten - spend a large part of their playtime “pretending.” These so-called “symbolic” games are, however, firmly rooted in reality.
Symbolic play - what is it?
It is sometimes also called imitative play and refers to the moments when a child enjoys “pretending” or “acting as if.” The child begins to imitate everyday actions and reenact them outside their usual context. They pretend to sleep or eat, change their doll’s imaginary diaper, or give their teddy bear a bath with a washcloth they’ve secretly snuck out of the bathroom.
“The symbolic function refers to the ability to evoke objects, behaviors, or situations that are not visible (hidden, out of sight, or experienced in the past) through symbols or signs. Symbolic play is a manifestation of the symbolic function,” according to the Éduscol portal of the French Ministry of National Education1. The resource document on symbolic play specifies: “Children must have acquired the concept of object permanence in order to be able to refer to something that is no longer within their field of vision.” To prepare this invisible pizza, they must be able to recall a moment from their life and visualize, in their little minds, the steaming dish fresh out of the oven.
Every daily activity can become a source of inspiration: a visit to the doctor, a little housework, preparing meals, setting the table, getting dressed, assembling a new flat-pack bookshelf, going grocery shopping, watching a fire truck, a visit to the farm... All of these examples can be the subject of delayed imitation, when the child thinks back on these memories and reenacts them during playtime. To create opportunities for these moments of imagination, it’s obviously important to encourage free play.
Role-playing games: Why are they important?
There is a wealth of scientific literature on the topic of symbolic play (also known as “pretend play” or “dramatic play”). It is associated with several aspects of child development.
1. The cognitive dimension
The strongest evidence pertains to the development of executive functions, which are high-level cognitive processes controlled by the brain1.
A 2026 meta-analysis, combining 26 studies, concluded that children who engage more in symbolic play generally exhibit better executive functions, including better working memory, better inhibition, and better cognitive flexibility2. Inhibition, for example, is useful for curbing reactions that do not fit the scenario. Cognitive flexibility allows them to easily switch roles as their stories unfold.
The authors do note, however, that symbolic play alone cannot explain the development of these executive functions. It contributes to them in part.
2. Language, communication, and social skills
To briefly transform into a plumber, an astronaut, or a Formula 1 driver, children need to know some of the vocabulary associated with these roles and professions. Through symbolic play, children develop their vocabulary and enrich their storytelling and conversations3.
Role-playing games also provide children with tools to strengthen their social skills. Whether these interactions are real (with other children) or imaginary (with stuffed animals, which play key roles in their scenarios), they foster cooperation, negotiation, perspective-taking, and an understanding of others’ emotions3. Here they are, feeling very sad for having poured tea that’s too hot for their guests, or showing compassion for a friend who has - in their imagination - stubbed their finger while doing a craft project. In other words, you can see this as gradual training in empathy, an invaluable quality for community life.
>> To learn more, we explain the importance of cooperative play for social cohesion in this article.
3. Creativity and Imagination
Imagination is the key to symbolic play, as children invent or reenact stories, situations, interactions, and environments. While younger children generally settle for simply copying and pasting reality, their creative genius grows as they get older.
A review of scientific research indicates, in particular, that symbolic play develops the ability to represent one object with another (such as a banana becoming a phone), to create increasingly complex imaginary scenarios, and to solve problems at the heart of entirely made-up plots3.
>> A symbol of the imagination: a closer look at the playhouse, a game that helps children grow.
4. The Motor Dimension
This may be the least-studied dimension. Yet the infinite variety of symbolic play calls for diverse, coordinated, and intentional movements. With her firefighter’s uniform slung over her shoulders, she must rescue Mistrigri, who is stuck at the top of a tree. She’ll need to muster her courage and run, jump, grab onto things, and climb. All these situations call upon balance, dynamic coordination, spatial orientation, and postural control4.
In addition to gross motor skills, pretend play helps develop fine motor skills. Pouring water into a toy tea set, dressing a doll, handling miniature utensils, and building scenes are activities that strengthen grasping skills, hand-eye coordination, and precision of movement4.
Symbolic play and mental health
Engaging in “pretend play” today may well influence their mental health several years down the road. According to a longitudinal study published in the Early Childhood Education Journal, encouraging symbolic play from an early age may promote long-term psychological well-being5. Young children who seem more inclined to engage in this type of play are found to experience fewer emotional and behavioral difficulties later on. The authors emphasize, however, that this is an association and that further research is needed to establish a cause-and-effect relationship.
One final benefit: pretend play offers numerous opportunities for self-regulation and for strengthening emotional control in an environment that is safe for children, since it is entirely created by them. The Eduscol website highlights a major benefit of these playful activities. Children can use them as a way to process negative emotions from real life1. Frustration stemming from a situation they can’t control (that grocery bag that’s way too heavy for their little arms), adults who refuse to give in to their wishes (no, we won’t go out in flip-flops and a T-shirt during this thunderstorm), or a rule that causes annoyance (yet that white wall would look so beautiful all colored in). In a way, symbolic play helps children internalize the rules and norms that govern the world in which they live, by transposing them into the scenarios they invent.
So some people still think that pretend play is gendered. That’s an absurd misconception. If a little boy enjoys playing with a wooden play kitchen, he may already be showing the first signs of a passion that could delight your taste buds in a few years. If a little girl can’t put down her toy toolbox, she might be envisioning a wonderful career in the trades. Stifling their initiative would only serve to create unnecessary insecurities and deprive them of wonderful opportunities to grow and flourish.
Sources :
- Ministère de l’Éducation nationale, de l’Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche. Ressources maternelle - Jouer et apprendre : Les jeux symboliques
- Constien, Tobias & Moran, Sarah & Rooney, Brendan & Downes, Michelle. (2026). A head taller: A meta-analysis on the relation between pretend play and executive functions in early childhood. Developmental Review. 79. 10.1016/j.dr.2026.101249.
- Lillard AS, Lerner MD, Hopkins EJ, Dore RA, Smith ED, Palmquist CM. The impact of pretend play on children's development: a review of the evidence. Psychol Bull. 2013 Jan;139(1):1-34. doi: 10.1037/a0029321. Epub 2012 Aug 20. PMID: 22905949.
- Thompson, Brittany & Goldstein, Thalia. (2019). Disentangling pretend play measurement: Defining the essential elements and developmental progression of pretense. Developmental Review. 52. 24-41. 10.1016/j.dr.2019.100867.
- Vasilopoulos, F., Grummitt, L., Bailey, S. et al. Longitudinal Evidence of the Relationship Between Pretend Play and Mental Health in the Early Years. Early Childhood Educ J 54, 4387–4397 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-026-02150-7
