2.9yo DS and imaginary play

[SESthebrave]

DS has developed over the last 3-4 months a very active imagination. He will pretend to be tv characters and act out tv programmes. He will also pretend play other situations - for example this morning within 10 minutes of waking up, he was pretending he was at Rugbytots and acting out the way they kick over the cones, pick them up and pile them high. He told me that his name was Craig and my name was Ellie (the two people who run his Rugbytots class).

Nursery have commented on his imagination and said "normally that doesn't happen until they're at least 4yo". I asked them if I should be worried and they said no as he does have friends and play with other children well. It just seems a bit strange to me that he spends so much time in an imaginary world. Should I be worried or is this normal?

My son is 2 years and 3 month and he as started with the imagination. He pretends he is mummy and I am baby. And likes to pretend to be a dinosaur.

I don't worry about it because every child has an imagination

My DD is 2.11 and has been like this for a good few months. She's always imagining things and trying to get me involved and until very recently she made me call her 'Daisy' (as in Duck) every evening around bedtime and if I used her real name she would correct me! I don't think it's anything to worry about, just their creative and clever little minds at work. Helps them make sense of things and gives them a little bit of control over what happens. I think your DS sounds lovely :)

I don't understand, why would anyone be worried about this? It can only be a positive thing surely, or am I missing something?
Enjoy and cultivate his creativity and imagination, its a great gift.

Thank you for the reassurances. I do think it's lovely but just wondered after nursery were suggesting it wasn't normal and I do want DS to enjoy playing as himself and in the "real world" as well as with his imagination.

I'm sure he will enjoy all kinds of playing. My dd always had an amazing imagination and it actually made her really popular as she could think of the best games!
When the nursery said it doesn't normally happen till later, they probably meant that he is really advanced and amazing! Imagine if they had said the same thing about numeracy skills, or toilet training, or reading, you wouldn't worry at all then. Enjoy your imaginative boy.

Be careful with films and tv though. Highly imaginative children can really feel things, and take things to heart, and the imagination can stretch to negativity as well, leading to vivid nightmares and worries. I always tell my daughter is is her imagination working too well, and her brain playing a nasty trick on her.

He sounds very normal and lovely.

Two year olds are cute

Thanks!

Interesting and valid point about tv and films. I did wonder whether he'd been dreaming about Rugbytots last night and that was what has prompted his play first thing this morning.