Release time: 2026-03-01 14:42
Is Pretend Play the Missing Ingredient in Raising Creative Kids?
Make-believe play nurtures the building blocks of creative thinking.
KEY POINTS
Pretend play is more than "just play."
Adults can support pretend play wthout controlling imagination.
Pretend play builds cognitive capacity for creativity.
Co-authored by Sheri McVay & Hannah Lydiatt
When a child turns a cardboard box into a spaceship, or a stick into a magic wand, it may look like simple fun. But beneath the giggles and dramatic voices, something far more powerful may be unfolding.
In our recently published study reviewing of decades of research, we found compelling evidence that pretend play, during which children assume roles, create scenarios, and treat objects “as if” they were something else, is a powerful early pathway to the development of creativity. As many schools cut back on free play in favor of academic lessons, it is worth asking: Are we unintentionally restricting one of the experiences that fosters creative thinking?
What Is Pretend Play?
Pretend play (also called imaginative or symbolic play) typically emerges around age 2 and peaks between ages 3 and 6. It includes activities such as role-play, object substitution (using a banana as a phone), storytelling, fantasy scenarios, and even invisible friends.
Psychologists describe pretend play as taking an “as-if” stance during which children knowingly step outside reality and create a new one. That ability to imagine beyond the here-and-now is not trivial; it is the foundation of creative thought.
The Link Between Pretend Play and Creativity
Creativity is often defined as the ability to generate ideas that are both original and useful. In research settings, one common way to measure creativity in children is through tasks that assess divergent thinking (i.e., the cognitive ability to come up with multiple possible responses or uses for an object; for example, “How many uses can you think of for a paperclip?”).
What does this have to do with pretending? Quite a lot.
When children engage in pretend play, they:
Generate alternative possibilities
Shift flexibly between perspectives
Combine ideas in novel ways
Construct narratives
Explore “what if” scenarios
Pretend play also strengthens:
Cognitive flexibility (switching between ideas, tasks or roles)
Emotional expression and regulation
Language development
Perspective-taking
These are the same cognitive processes involved in creative thinking. In other words, pretend play is not just correlated with creativity. In many cases, providing opportunities for pretend play appears to strengthen creative thinking.
Why Does This Matter?
Over the past decades, preschool classrooms have increasingly emphasized pre-academic skills such as early literacy drills and worksheets, often at the expense of free play. Parents, too, frequently fill children’s schedules with organized activities, enrichment programs, and screen-based entertainment.
The irony? Creativity is widely recognized as one of the most essential 21st-century skills. Employers consistently rank creative problem-solving among the most valuable workforce competencies. Innovation depends on it. Adaptability depends on it.
Yet creativity doesn’t typically develop through direct instruction alone. It develops when children are given space to imagine, experiment, and explore without rigid constraints.
Does Pretend Play Need Adult Support?
Although pretend play can be a solitary activity, it can also be supported and encouraged. In fact, children benefit when adults:
Provide multi-use materials (blocks, costumes, loose parts)
Offer gentle prompts (“What happens next?”)
Model imaginative thinking
Encourage storytelling
Label emotions within play
What Parents Can Do
Protect unstructured time. Overscheduling leaves little room for imagination.
Provide supplies. Think versatile, not flashy.
Join occasionally, but don’t dominate. Follow the child’s lead.
Ask open-ended questions: “What do you think happens if…?”
Resist correcting unrealistic ideas. In pretend play, there is no “wrong” answer.
Sheri McVay is a developmental psychologist with a master’s degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She is pursuing a doctoral degree at UNO, researching peer relations, traditional bullying, and cyber victimization among children and adolescents.
Psychology Today