# How much pretend play does your 2 yr old do?



## morganeldi (Nov 9, 2007)

I was just wondering how much pretend play your 2-2.5 y.o is doing?

I'm asking because my ds doesn't do much yet. He is 27 months. He ocassionally (seldom) will vroom his cars on the floor (once) or maybe make a horse run for a second, or sometimes pretend to feed himself with a spoon or briefly stick a play bottle in a babydolls mouth but then puts the doll down and doesn't want to play with it. At this point he just seems much much more analytical, enjoys puzzles and books and numbers and stuff like that...

He has a little friend the same age who pretends she is Dora, dresses up and plays pretend with her dolls and doll house and even has an imaginary friend. She is really the only other toddler we hang out around so it is hard to know... I know some of this is gender related but I don't see my ds doing these types of play.

Should I be concerned about this? I think he is otherwise developmentally on track, but wanted to gauge what other kids this age are doing in terms of pretend play.

ETA for more info: The things he usually does with his toys are picks them up, analyzes them and describes them (oh an octopus, a orange one, blue eyes, an octopus does ____, bumpy...) then puts it down and does that with the next object.


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## Bug-a-Boo's Mama (Jan 15, 2008)

K is 32 months old and has just within the last month started doing imaginative play.


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## morganeldi (Nov 9, 2007)

Thank you that is reassuring


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## ecoteat (Mar 3, 2006)

DD is also 27 months and does imaginative play a lot. She pretends to cook (with toy pans, but also rocks and seashells), she pretends she's different animals, she loves to make imaginary burritos with all kinds of wacky things in them and then pretend to eat them. She mostly plays like this with kids older than her; her playmates the same age don't do this as much. I wasn't expecting this so soon. I think it's more common for it to start later, so I wouldn't worry at all if I were you.


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## pbjmama (Sep 20, 2007)

My 27 month old does a fair amount of pretend play. However he has no where near the verbal skills of your ds. I think they are probably both developmentally on track but excelling in different areas. In other words, no I don't think you should worry about it.


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## Katielady (Nov 3, 2006)

I have noticed in my playgroup of 2-year-olds that the girls seem to start imaginative play way earlier. They will talk to dolls and stuffed animals, and pretend to have them hop around and stuff. My son (27 months) does a little bit of pretend play, mostly with play food (he'll bite it and give it to me to bite). But when I try to get him into things like putting a babydoll to bed or talking to a puppet, he's either not into it or just wants to fling the things around. And even with the play food, if I try anything more elaborate like "Let's make a stew- what should we put in it?" he doesn't seem to get it.

I'm impatient because I LOVE imaginative play! Can't wait. But til then, it's all about balls, books, slides, cars, and balls. Did I mention balls? He wakes up and the first thing he says is, "Play ball?"


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## morganeldi (Nov 9, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Katielady* 
I have noticed in my playgroup of 2-year-olds that the girls seem to start imaginative play way earlier. They will talk to dolls and stuffed animals, and pretend to have them hop around and stuff. My son (27 months) does a little bit of pretend play, mostly with play food (he'll bite it and give it to me to bite). But when I try to get him into things like putting a babydoll to bed or talking to a puppet, he's either not into it or just wants to fling the things around. And even with the play food, if I try anything more elaborate like "Let's make a stew- what should we put in it?" he doesn't seem to get it.

I'm impatient because I LOVE imaginative play! Can't wait. But til then, it's all about balls, books, slides, cars, and balls. Did I mention balls? He wakes up and the first thing he says is, "Play ball?"









haha yes this sounds like us exactly. He will do the same thing where he'll pretend to bite some play food and give me a bite but not further than that, mostly likes to put things in and out of his kitchen and throw the food for the Dog like a ball..lol He likes it when I put on a puppet and talk to him with it on for a second, he'll laugh but then he's done, he doesn't really want to continue or really engage in that stuff yet.


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## jennifercp8 (Nov 10, 2005)

My 25 month old is great about imagining play with trains, cars, etc, but nothing else. He also loves puzzles, numbers, colors, blocks (knocking them down, really), and asks to sign with me constantly. He showed faint interest in a play kitchen the other day, so I think that will be his Christmas gift.


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## eurobin (Aug 20, 2006)

Tons and tons... she cooks me "soup" in her kitchen (complete with a "cooking" period in the oven, dishes, spoons (not forks) etc) she splashes in the sink after dinner with the sponge and brush to "wash dishes," she plays dress up (including her "fancy shoes"), she feeds her babies, she uses her play broom and other cleaning stuff, she demands face lotion, etc. But she seriously makes a block-tower at about the level of a 14 month old.

They all even out, you know?


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## Xpcting#3 (Nov 7, 2007)

DS1 is 4 and other than some play w/ vehicles did NO imaginary play until very recently. DS2, on the otherhand, was serving up invisible food when he was 18 months. I think it varies greatly from child to child, and no big deal.


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## mamatoady (Mar 16, 2004)

I see he is your first--1st kids, unless totally engrossed in outside activities with other kids, generally pretend play later than kids with siblings. I think the reason is that your 2nd and so forth will watch and imitate EVERYTHING the other child does. My son was playing baby doll and feeding her and changing her and rocking her to sleep by 13 months. He was fixing me pretend meals by 18 months. My dd, (1st child) did these things somewhat but definitely not to his level until about 2.5-3. Around 3, she REALLY got into the pretend play.


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## operamommy (Nov 9, 2004)

Ds2 will be 3 in October, and he just started heavy-duty imaginary play in the last month or so. (meaning, pretending to be someone else, like a firefighter, setting up his animals in play settings and having them talk to one another, etc.) It's adorable.


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## liam's mom (Jun 18, 2003)

actually my ds2 (28m) does a good amount of imaginative play...cooking and baking in his kitchen, playing with his baby doll, with cars/trucks/trains, that sort of thing. he doesn't play dress up or anything like that, though.


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## liam's mom (Jun 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamatoady* 
I see he is your first--1st kids, unless totally engrossed in outside activities with other kids, generally pretend play later than kids with siblings. I think the reason is that your 2nd and so forth will watch and imitate EVERYTHING the other child does. My son was playing baby doll and feeding her and changing her and rocking her to sleep by 13 months. He was fixing me pretend meals by 18 months. My dd, (1st child) did these things somewhat but definitely not to his level until about 2.5-3. Around 3, she REALLY got into the pretend play.

oh, i'd like to agree with this, too. ds1 played with trucks and trains around 2.5y, but pretend cooking in a kitchen? no way, not until later.


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## SeekingJoy (Apr 30, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Xpcting#3* 
DS1 is 4 and other than some play w/ vehicles did NO imaginary play until very recently. DS2, on the otherhand, was serving up invisible food when he was 18 months. I think it varies greatly from child to child, and no big deal.

That's us! DS is 33 months and couldn't care less. Never has. He will sometimes play with playfood, but is just as likely to see if the velcro will attach to anything else in the house, if he can take use the pans as drums, how far the lids will slide across the floor.

DD, on the other hand, loves dress up at 12 months. She "gets" play food and dolls and phones. They are just different kids with different interests and abilities.


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## KD's Momma (Oct 24, 2004)

DS#2 started pretend play a few months before his 2nd bday, but he has an older brother that is 4 and does alot of pretending, so that really helped. They cook all the time, run around the house like airplanes or motorcycles, plus all the cars/trains/trucks they have.


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## lava mama (Jan 2, 2007)

DS is 33 months old and has just recently (like, within the last month) been interested in pretend play. But, he doesn't want to do pretend play with me (I'm really bad at it and have very little patience for it














but he and DH pretend play practically all day long when DH is home. Of course, it is only regarding trucks, tunnels and french fries (???), but it's still pretend play!

I'm noticing, too, that the more DS' vocabulary increases the more he engages in pretend play. I don't know if that's how it is for other kids, but it's noticeable with DS for sure!


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