Categories and Forms of Pretending

As pretending increases in a child's life, the subject matter  changes. The three categories most often displayed are:

• Personification (speaking to and for dolls, stuffed toys, inanimate objects)
• Imaginative Use of Materials (drinking out of a cup, shaving, carrying a purse)
• Participation in Make-Believe Situations (visiting the doctor, keeping house, putting out fires)

All Children like stories about animals, boys like adventures, girls enjoy home life and domestic happenings.

There are many forms of pretending - each has its own value:

• Talking to self/monologue/stream of consciousness
• Informal, spontaneous dialog between two people
• Extemporaneous role-playing, alone or cooperatively
• Solo performance or pretending alone
• Pantomime of a well-known story
• Dramatization of a storybook with or without a supporting cast
• Improvised skit
• Role-playing
• Scripted play
• Factual re-enactment
• Group collaboration

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