Community Playthings: Dramatic Play Aids Children’s Social and Emotional Development

Using the imagination and pretending to be others - whether fantastical characters from movies or more practical societal roles - is a rite of passage in childhood. 

A recent article by Community Playthings notes that this type of activity - known as dramatic play - is important for children’s social and emotional development.

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Dramatic play is when children engage in pretend scenarios in which they take on different roles and often use props or objects to represent others. This type of play helps children with social and emotional development, language and literacy skills, cognitive and fine motor skills, and empathy.

Dramatic play can involve anything from acting out scenes from a favorite book or pretending to work in a hospital or restaurant. 

As Community Playthings notes, “Dramatic play is a powerful tool children use to make sense of events in their lives, to better understand themselves, and to explore the emotions and perspectives of others.”

Along with the benefits involving social and emotional well-being and various types of development, the article notes that dramatic play is fun. 

It also offers children a safe and creative space to process, understand, express complex emotions, and adjust to change. In the process, it benefits their mental health, fosters the development of executive function skills, encourages mental flexibility, and often helps to develop empathy when presenting varied viewpoints.

To learn how to support dramatic play, read Community Playthings’ article, “The Importance of Dramatic Play for Young Children.”