In light of empirical evidence analyse key features of children s early pretence and discuss whether
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Much of the recent literature on human cognitive development portrays children as young scientists, constructing systematic and coherent, if naive, theories about the world. One of the many ways by which children learn is through pretend play. According to the Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary pretend play is defined as: Pretend: existing only in the mind, unrelated to reality, to make-believe, to imagine. Play: an activity done for amusement and pleasure, especially by children.
Pretend play (also called fantasy or dramatic play), substitutes imaginary situations for real ones and dominates the preoperational period (Seifert, Hoffnung & Hoffnung, 2000). As children develop the ability to represent experience symbolically, pretend play becomes a prominent activity. In this complex type of play, children carry out action plans, take on roles, and transform objects as they express their ideas and feelings about the social world (Garvey, 1977).
The main reason children engage in pretend play simply seems to be because it is fun. They get enjoyment from fantasy and pretend play. Children use imaginary play to actively explore their world...