Ask an Expert
Related Resources
April 2008Imagination and Fantasy in Early Childhood Karen
Stephens, M.S. in Education, specializing in early childhood
Online Resources
-
Ask Dr. Katz: What Does the Research Say about Dramatic Play Including Gun Play?
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/ask-dr-katz/question006.htm -
Ask an Expert: Children's Play—More than Fun and Games
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert/mendoza/index.htm -
How Dramatic Play Promotes Development
This chapter discusses how dramatic play is central to children’s healthy development and learning during the preschool years.
http://www.teachingstrategies.com/content/pageDocs/CC4_Ch7_exrpt.pdf -
The Nature of Children's Play. ERIC Digest.
This digest suggests that play is a way children develop an understanding of themselves and others, knowledge of the world around them, and communication skills. As children develop the ability to represent experience symbolically, pretend play becomes a prominent activity.
http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9211/nature.htm -
Play: Essential for All Children
This position paper emphasizes the crucial role of play in the optimal growth, learning, and development of children. Blocks allow imagination to flourish. Vehicles encourage dramatic play that develops concepts of distance and space.
http://www.acei.org/images/stories/global-action-center/PlayEssential.pdf -
Play Activities for Children Birth to Nine Years
This fact sheet notes that pretend play helps preschoolers learn to share, and it helps their imaginations grow.
http://www.nncc.org/Curriculum/play.activities.html
Spanish: Actividades Recreativas para Ninos de Hasta 9 Anos de Edad
http://www.nncc.org/Curriculum/sp.activ.recr.html -
Creative Play Helps Children Grow!
This resource discusses how play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Creative play includes games, movement, and questioning.
http://www.nncc.org/Curriculum/create.play.grow.html -
The Role of Pretend Play in Children's Cognitive Development
This article defines the cluster of concepts related to pretend play and cognition and briefly synthesizes the latest research on the role of such play in children's cognitive, social, and academic development.
http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v4n1/bergen.html
Illinois Early Learning Tip Sheets
-
Young Children Need to Play!
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/importanceofplay.htm -
Time to Play, Time to Dream: Unscheduling Your Child
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/unstructured.htm
-
Make Room for Blocks!
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/blocks.htm
Additional Resources
Journal Articles
- Pretend Play: Longitudinal Prediction of Creativity and Affect in Fantasy in Children
Author(s): Russ, Sandra W.; Robins, Andrew L.; Christiano, Beth A.
Publication Date: 1999
Source: Creativity Research Journal; 1999, Vol. 12 Issue 2, 129-40 - The Characteristics and Correlates of Fantasy in School-Age Children:
Imaginary Companions, Impersonation, and Social Understanding
Author(s): Taylor, Marjorie; Carlson, Stephanie M.; Maring, Bayta L.; Gerow, Lynn; Charley, Carolyn M.
Publication Date: 2004
Source: Developmental Psychology; 2004, Vol. 40, No. 6, 1173–1187 -
Does Creative Drama Promote Language Development in Early Childhood? A Review of the Methods and Measures Employed in the Empirical Literature
Author(s):: Wendy Karen Mages
Publication Date: 2008
Source: Review of Educational Research, 2008, Vol. 78, No.1, 124-152 -
Narrative, Imaginary Play, Art, and Self: Intersecting Worlds
Author(s): Jiryung Ahn, Margot Filipenko
Publication Date: 2007
Source: Early Childhood Education Journal, Feb 2007, Vol. 34, No.4, 279-289 - Wanna Play?
Author(s): Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld
Publication Date: 2006
Source: Young Children, Nov 2006, Vol. 61 No. 6, 34-35
Books
- Block Play: The Complete Guide to Learning and Playing with Blocks
Author(s): MacDonald, Sharon
Publication Date: 2001
Availability: Beltsville , MD : Gryphon House - Boys & Girls: Superheroes in the Doll Corner
Author(s): Paley, Vivian Gussin
Publication Date: 1984
Availability: Chicago : University of Chicago Press - A Child's Work: The Importance of Fantasy Play
Author(s): Paley, Vivian Gussin
Publication Date: 2004
Availability: Chicago : University of Chicago Press - Children's Play: The Roots of Reading
Author(s): Zigler, Edward F.; Singer, Dorothy G.; & Bishop-Josef, Sandra J.
Publication Date: 2005
Availability: Washington , DC : Zero to Three Press - Emergent Literacy and Dramatic Play in Early Education
Author(s): Davidson, Jane
Publication Date: 1996
Availability: Albany , NY : Delmar - Imaginary Companions and the Children Who Create Them
Author(s): Taylor , Marjorie
Publication Date: 1999
Availability: New York : Oxford University Press - Learning through Dramatic Play: A Practical Guide for Teaching Young Children
Author(s): Hereford , Nancy Jo, & Schall, Jane (Eds.)
Publication Date: 1991
Availability: New York : Scholastic - Magic Capes , Amazing Powers: Transforming Superhero Play in the Classroom
Author(s): Hoffman, Eric
Publication Date: 2004
Availability: St. Paul , MN : Redleaf Press - The Power of Play: How Spontaneous, Imaginative Activities Lead to Happier, Healthier Children
Author(s): Elkind, David
Publication Date: 2007
Availability: Cambridge , MA : DaCapo Press
Video or DVD
- Play: A Vygotskian Approach
Author(s): Bodrova, Elena, & Leong, Deborah
Publication Date: 1996
Availability: San Luis Obispo , CA : Davidson Films
NOTE: There may be publications on this page that are available as PDF (portable document format) files. To be able to read these files, download the free Adobe Reader.
Disclaimer
The opinions, resources, and referrals provided on the IEL Web site are intended for informational purposes only and are not intended to take the place of medical or legal advice, or of other appropriate services. We encourage you to seek direct local assistance from a qualified professional if necessary before taking action.
The content of the IEL Web site does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Illinois Early Learning Project, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or the Illinois State Board of Education; nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the Illinois Early Learning Project, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, or the Illinois State Board of Education.