How young children think, play, and grow
📘 What Is Preoperational Development?
In this stage, children begin to use symbols (words, images, objects) to represent ideas.
However, they don’t yet use logical rules, so their thinking is often based on how things look, not how they work.
🔑 Key Markers of This Stage
| Concept | Description | Example |
| Pretend Play | Using imagination to create stories and characters | A banana becomes a phone 📞 |
| Egocentrism | Difficulty seeing others’ perspectives | “Pick the block that’s my favorite color” |
| Intuitive Thinking | Decisions based on feelings, not logic | “I didn’t nap, so it’s not afternoon” |
🎲 Play Styles
| Age | Play Style | Description |
| 3+ | Parallel Play | Playing side-by-side without shared goals |
| 3–4 | Associative Play | Sharing toys and space, but still individual play |
| 4.5+ | Cooperative Play | Working together in pretend play or shared goals |
👨👩👧👦 How Can Parents Get Involved?
Age 3
- 🧺 Ask your child to follow directions without pointing (e.g., “Put the toy in the basket”)
- ⚽ Encourage ball play—throwing and kicking without support
- ✏️ Draw shapes and have your child copy them
- 🪞 Ask, “Who’s in the mirror?” to build self-awareness
Age 4+
- 👕 Ask your child to describe objects or name items in a category (e.g., “Tell me about your shirt”)
- 🎯 Practice catching and throwing a ball from 5–6 feet away
- 🧩 Complete small puzzles (5–10 pieces)
- 🪥 Encourage independence: brushing teeth, serving food, dressing (except zippers/buttons)
📚 Resources & More Information
- Ages & Stages Questionnaire (3-Year)
- Stages of Play – Brightest Beginning
- Piaget’s Theory – Simply Psychology
- Theories of Play – The OT Toolbox