" Without the flowering of play and imagination in childhood, humans might be seriously disadvantaged in areas that rely on creative potential, unable to move beyond 'what is' to consider 'what might be' (Weisberg, Hirsh-Pasek & Golinkoff, 2013, 38). In articles reviewed by Lillard and her colleagues, pretend play is highlighted as a crucial part of healthy childhood as well as cognitive development (Lillard, Lerner, Hopkins, Dore, Smith and Palmquist, 2012). The following essay aims at critically evaluating the claims made for as well as against pretend play being a uniquely important and necessary feature of healthy development. It does so by defining pretend play in conjunction with differentiating it from other types of play. In addition to the above, theoretical and empirical research will be used to draw a final conclusion.
Play is thought of by many as the physical exploration of the environment by children, example, playing ball, hide-and-seek and making use of swings and slides (Kaufman, 2012). As we know, this is not the only form of play in which children engage. The focal point of this essay is pretend play. In itself, this …show more content…
Lillard and her colleagues concluded that there is no solid evidence suggesting that pretend play better develops creativity, problem solving or any other cognitive abilities thereof. I however would like to conclude this essay taking a firm stance on the side pretend play being essential for development. Children may be exposed to different forms of pretend play or rather some kids may use this form of play more than others. Given the evidence there is a correlation between pretend pay and cognitive development, children with even the slightest history of pretend play have a better development of cognition than children with no history of pretend play at
Play is thought of by many as the physical exploration of the environment by children, example, playing ball, hide-and-seek and making use of swings and slides (Kaufman, 2012). As we know, this is not the only form of play in which children engage. The focal point of this essay is pretend play. In itself, this …show more content…
Lillard and her colleagues concluded that there is no solid evidence suggesting that pretend play better develops creativity, problem solving or any other cognitive abilities thereof. I however would like to conclude this essay taking a firm stance on the side pretend play being essential for development. Children may be exposed to different forms of pretend play or rather some kids may use this form of play more than others. Given the evidence there is a correlation between pretend pay and cognitive development, children with even the slightest history of pretend play have a better development of cognition than children with no history of pretend play at