Skill
Uses Imagination in Play
Child shows imagination by pretending, exploring new uses for objects, and making novel things with simple materials.
Ages 8–36 months
Why it matters
Imaginative play is where young children rehearse ideas, roles, and possibilities. A toddler who feeds a doll or turns a block into a phone is practicing symbolic thinking — letting one thing stand for another — which underlies language, storytelling, and abstract reasoning. Creativity in play also supports flexibility and emotional expression.
Builds toward this milestone
- shows imagination in play and interactions with others. — Head Start ELOF
What mastery looks like
- Uses pretend or imaginary objects and people in play.
- Explores more than one possible use for an everyday object.
- Uses materials such as paper, crayons, or blocks to make novel things.
How to observe it
- Does the child let one object stand for another, such as a block becoming a phone?
- In play with others, does the child take on a pretend role or scenario?
Accessibility
- Offer open-ended objects with varied textures so children with sensory or motor differences can explore.
- Join a child's play and narrate it to model pretend ideas for children who are just beginning.
Activities
Evidence
- Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF) — U.S. Office of Head Start · 2015 · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Early Atlas