[Source:  Science Daily]

A new study exploring the origins of pretend play suggests infants perform interactional patterns with elements of pretence a lot earlier than thought.

Pretend play is often considered a developmental landmark, being linked to emotion regulation, language skills, cognitive reasoning, and problem-solving. It is widely accepted a child begins participating in make-believe activities when they have developed the capacity to recognise they are doing it and, in most cases, studies focus on infants who are somewhat verbal.

However, new research by the University of Portsmouth and Lund University, Sweden, has drawn connections between pretence and a child’s early on playful interactions, such as clowning and teasing.

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