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Original poster

What age for make-believe?

29 replies

Greensleeves · 04/09/2006 22:18

Does anyone know roughly what age kids start doing "pretending" - as in "I'm not XXX, I'm YYY" - not fibbing as such but deliberately playing a game by pretending to be Grandad or a cat or whatever?

I know there's always a massive range for these things but I just can't remember where in the early years this one is supposed to crop up

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Original poster
Greensleeves · 04/09/2006 22:25

bump

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colditz · 04/09/2006 22:26

3 ish? ds1 does it.

singyswife · 04/09/2006 22:26

Hi, think it is about 2. My dd's are 3.5 and 5.5 and seem to have been doing it forever, cant honestly remember when it started, think it might have been about 2 though.

jenniferjuniper · 04/09/2006 22:28

my dd is coming up to 4 and plays make believe all the time ( quite obsessively sometimes )She`s been doing it for around 6 months and is often a favourite tv character but more often a dog which involves her having to lick me goodnight instead of kissing her .Then she makes me lick her back !

threebob · 04/09/2006 22:29

around 3 I think.

Original poster
Greensleeves · 04/09/2006 22:31

Is there any significance to a child NOT doing it, do you think, or doing it early/late/too much?

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colditz · 04/09/2006 22:32

Ds1 doesn't seem to do a great deal of it, but he plays well enough - he is 3.5. I personally think boys tend to do less of it.

jenniferjuniper · 04/09/2006 22:33

dont recall ds ever really doing it and he`s turned out ok .On the other hand should i worry dd is excessive ? Can be a bit much when she refuses to step out of character !

Olihan · 04/09/2006 22:35

I think some kids are just more that way inclined than others. DS is 2.8 and majorly into imaginary play - he isn't into playing with toys at all really. His bf on the other hand, is same age but doesn't really do it at all, but will spend hours playing with toys.

I know one of the asd triad of impairments is lack of imaginary play but it goes alongside communication probs and something else (sorry, tired pg brain tonight) so not really doing it isn't a cause for alarm by itself I shouldn't think.

colditz · 04/09/2006 22:36

It mioght show where their academic preferances lie

Toothyboy · 04/09/2006 22:37

Ds1 is 3.5; currently he is either Diego (Dora's cousin), a marching soldier (specifically a Scots Guard) or Lightning McQueen and will not respond if called by the wrong name.

He's been doing this sort of play for a few months.

Oh and sometimes he's Pablo (Backyardigans)!

Saturn74 · 04/09/2006 22:37

DS1 (now 10) has been some character or other since he was about 2.5. Even now there is rarely a week when he doesn't spend the evenings as Alex Ryder, Harry Potter or a character from 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. DS2 (aged 8) has never really been interested in dressing up games, or imagining he is another person, and just rolls his eyes as his big brother leaps around the house!

FullOfTestosterone · 04/09/2006 22:37

DD started doing about 2.5 years, and sometimes she does worry me with always being someone else...

I think it has been related with some autistic syndrome, but I would think in itself it wouldn't be worrysome. i.e if all other imaginary, social skills are in place - I am no expert in children's behaviour though...

Are you worried about something in special?

Toothyboy · 04/09/2006 22:38

Or perhaps he just watches too much TV !

jenniferjuniper · 04/09/2006 22:39

Toothyboy - dd loves being Diego too and goes around rescuing things and muttering on about baby jaguar .

Original poster
Greensleeves · 04/09/2006 22:39

I wouldn't say I was worried as such, but I wanted other people's experiences just to gauge whether or not I should be worried IYWSIM (prob. not by the sound of it). MN is much better for that than any book or website, because there are so many different children to compare.

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jenniferjuniper · 04/09/2006 22:42

i suppose i would be concerned if dd went off into her own world completely but as she never stops telling me who she is and what she is doing then its fine . Although she tries to make me be Boots the monkey from Dora the Explorer which can be tiresome .

Toothyboy · 04/09/2006 22:42

Jenniferjuniper - occasionally he is actually Diego and Alicia at the same time!!

jenniferjuniper · 04/09/2006 22:45

oh Alicia - dd seems unimpressed with her so far -she likes being the various animals alot more !

Elibean · 04/09/2006 23:01

dd is 2.8 and has been into imaginary play for what feels like forever....probably 18 months for making up scenes with dolls/figures, and no more than 2 for 'me Lalaa you Po' type stuff. Nowadays its 'me Dora, you Diego, baby jaguar needs rescuing that tree there' on a daily basis....[tired of being Diego icon]

I would think it depends on the child - her cousin is the same age (boy) and is far less interested in imaginary play than she is (but much better at all sorts of other things!).

Nemo1977 · 04/09/2006 23:02

ds is 3 next month and has been doing this for 6mths or so.

FullOfTestosterone · 04/09/2006 23:19

Slight hijack....

So when does it stop?!?! [bad mummy emoticon]

I hate pretend play!!

Greensleaves - Glad to hear you are not too worried!

singersgirl · 05/09/2006 00:02

Mine were both into it from around 2-ish, though the play grew in complexity over the years. DS1 (now 8) is still rarely himself; DS2 has never been quite so far out of this world.

singersgirl · 05/09/2006 00:09

Sorry, missed the point of my post, which was to say that I think it depends a lot on the individual child.

Some children can't see the point of imaginary play, other children (like DS1) can't see the point of life without it.

Original poster
Greensleeves · 05/09/2006 09:33

I suppose the difference between worrying/non-worrying would be whether or not you can be 100% sure the child knows it's only make-believe.

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