Whether pretend play looks like your child being a doctor, a cook, a grocery store shopper, or a parent, these play experiences provide valuable opportunities to build language skills when families get involved. While it may seem simple, pretend play is essential to children’s development. When families join in, children can strengthen their spoken and written language, turn-taking skills, and even concepts related to math and science.

Here are a few simple ways families can support their children’s language development through pretend play:

Model Rich Vocabulary

Pretend play is a great opportunity to introduce new words naturally. When playing doctor, you might use words like patient, examine, illness, injury or recover. During grocery store play, you could talk about ingredients, produce, or a receipt. When introducing a new word, briefly explain what it means in a way your child can understand. For example, “The doctor is going to examine the patient. That means she is going to look closely to see what is wrong.” Children learn new vocabulary best when they hear words used in meaningful situations and are given opportunities to understand their meaning.

Extend Children’s Language

When your child says something during play, build on what they say by adding more details. For example, if your child says, “Baby sick,” you might respond, “The baby is sick. She needs some medicine and rest.” If they say, “I cooking,” you could say, “You’re cooking dinner for the whole family.” This helps children hear more complete sentences and learn new ways to express their ideas.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions encourage children to think, imagine, and share their ideas as they use oral language. During pretend play, try asking questions such as, “What should happen next?”, “How can we help the puppy feel better?”, or “What do we need to buy at the grocery store?” These questions keep conversations going and give children opportunities to use language to explain, plan, and tell stories.

Small conversations during pretend play can have a big impact on children’s language development. By modeling vocabulary, extending children’s language, and asking open-ended questions, families can help build strong communication skills that support future learning.