Pretend play age 3

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Posting here for traffic as I already posted on behaviour and development but I only got one reply giving experience. DS will be 4 at the end of the year. I've noticed that (to me) his pretend play doesn't appear to be as well developed as some of his peers - this is mainly just from what I've seen in parks etc, but also compared with one or two friends' children. So I'm curious to ask a bigger audience!

He has no problems playing pretend of basic, every day scenarios eg will make pretend food in his kitchen, pretend to go to the shop, pretend to give his baby doll milk or take it for a walk in its pushchair (he has a baby sibling). He also pretends objects are something else (he does this well/a lot). He'll wiggle on the floor and say I'm a snake, or occasionally say there's a monster or something.

But that's as far as it goes. The peer children I've seen seem to play pretend much more elaborately eg make a huge game of it. DS' pretend play is always short lived.

The main thing he does when playing - and I mean up to 80-90% of the time - is drive vehicles around or pretend he is on a vehicle (eg ship at the park), or pretend he IS a vehicle/machine (eg today at the park he pretended he was a "grass snipper") and make the relevant sound effects. Over and over again. There is the odd bit of standard narration eg "land ahoy" if he's on a pretend boat, but it's mainly the sound effects.

Is this typical? I don't think it is, but I don't want to seem fussy...alternatively is this something I should be engaging him in? I have tried to encourage him with his doctor's kit, and he's always happy to pretend to be "daddy" to his baby doll, but he never wants to be the doctor. Although he put a sticker over his mouth the other day and said he was a dentist which I thought was quite creative. But again it's short lived.

What is your 3-4 year olds' pretend play like?

I think some children are really into pretend play, and others not so much. DD2 loved pretend play and could create elaborate stories for long periods of time. DD1 wasn’t into pretend play at all - not any kind of developmental issue, she just wasn’t that kind of child.

Does your DS enjoy different things instead? Jigsaws, games, books, construction toys...? All children are different - this doesn’t sound like anything to be concerned about on its own. There’s often nothing to be gained from comparing children with their peers. Why do you think you’re worried about it?

Thanks for your reply, so much for posting for traffic!

That's really useful to hear about your DDs. My DS mainly enjoys playing with any vehicles, although he does like other things such as kitchen play, jigsaws (when in the mood). He doesn't play anything for all that long to be fair. He LOVES stories and would sit for ages, one after the other. He also loves playing outside/at softplay.

My worries are around ASD and the lack of imaginative play that's one of the symptoms. I've got a fair few, seemingly very minor, concerns about my DS, but the imaginative play is one of the main ones.

Different children are different! Dd1 sounds very like your son, she liked playing 'cafe lady' and 'teacher' but was not at all interested in fairies etc. She was also rubbish at playing on her own. She's now 11 and has no additional needs.
Dd2 would, and still will, play all sorts of imaginitive games, make up stories, spend hours in her own little world. Again, now 9, no issues. They're both happy girls just very different!

If you have a collection of even minor concerns, have a chat with your HV. If they think it’s worth looking at further, if you’re open to that, it’s a hell of a lot easier and quicker to do so now rather than when your DS is in school. It may well not be anything but if you’re wondering, pursue things now.

Difficult for me to get it across but it really may not be anything! I’m just trying to emphasise that assessment processes and timelines can become a whole different world after preschool age.

Thank youpostitnot it's reassuring to hear of other kids similar to my DS.

LookImahooman thank you, I have a referral in place but the wait is very very long!!!