Title: Pretend Play in Toddlers Linked to Better Mental Health Later in Life

A new study from the University of Sydney has found that toddlers who demonstrate stronger pretend play abilities have significantly fewer emotional and behavioural difficulties when they reach primary school age.

The research, published in the Early Childhood Education Journal, analysed data from more than 1,400 Australian children participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Pretend play ability was assessed by early childhood educators over a two-year period for children aged two and three years old.

Mental health outcomes were measured using reports from parents and educators when the children were aged between four and five years, and again between six and seven years old. The study found that stronger pretend play ability in toddlerhood was associated with fewer mental health difficulties several years later.

These findings remained significant even after accounting for factors such as family socioeconomic position, mother’s mental health, the child’s language ability, and the security of the child’s relationship with their parents.

Lead researcher Dr Fontini Vasilopoulos from the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use and the CREATE Centre stated: “We found that differences in pretend play ability very early in life were linked to differences in mental health outcomes several years later.”

The study highlights the importance of early childhood development and play-based learning as a potential avenue for supporting long-term mental health. Mental health difficulties affect approximately 14 percent of Australian children, yet prevention efforts often focus on later childhood or adolescence.

Pretend play involves children acting out imaginary situations, taking on roles, and using objects symbolically. This form of imaginative activity appears to support emotional regulation and behavioural development in ways that may reduce vulnerability to mental health challenges in later years.

The researchers suggest that fostering pretend play in early childhood settings could be a valuable, low-cost strategy for promoting mental wellbeing. However, they note that the study identifies an association and does not establish pretend play as a direct cause of better mental health outcomes.

Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms through which pretend play may influence mental health development and to explore whether encouraging such play in early childhood could serve as a preventive measure against emotional and behavioural difficulties.