David Whitebread talks about why pretend play is important for developing self-regulation Scroll to learning area

The late Dr David Whitebread talks about why pretend play is important for developing self-regulation. Pretend play isn’t just about having fun, you have to create rules for the play and stay in character. You also need to learn to use symbolism (a unique human skill) to be able to pretend. This is the basis of human culture: maths, music, literature, poetry, art and design.

Good for looking at

• Pretend play
• Self-regualtion
• Executive function
• Language development
• Socialising
• Symbolising
• Theory – Vygotsky