9 Mo.

  • Awareness that objects exist when not seen: finds toys hidden under scarf.
  • Means-end behavior – crawls or walks to get what he wants: pulls string toys.
  • Does not mouth or bang all toys – some used appropriately.
13 Mo.

  • Purposeful exploration of toys: discovers operation of toys through trial and error: uses variety if motoric schemas.
  • Hands toys to adult if unable to operate.
17 Mo.

  • Autosymbolic play, for example, child pretends to go to sleep or pretends to drink from cup or eat from spoon.
  • Uses most common objects and toys appropriately.
  • Tool-use (uses stick to reach toy).
  • Finds toys invisibly hidden (when placed in box and box emptied under scarf).
19 Mo.Symbolic play extends beyond the child’s self:

  • Play with dolls: brushes doll’s hair, feeds doll a bottle, or covers doll with blanket.
  • Child performs pretend activities on more than one person or object: for example, feeds self, a doll, mother, and another child.
  • Combines two toys in pretend play, for example, puts spoon in pan or pours from pot into cup.
24 Mo.

  • Represents daily experiences: plays house – is the mommy, daddy, or baby: objects used are realistic and close to life size.
  • Events short and isolated; no true sequences: some self-limiting sequences – puts food in pan, stirs and eats.
  • Block play consists of stacking and knocking down.
  • Sand and water play consists of filling, pouring and dumping.
2.5 Yrs.

  • Represents events less frequently experienced or observed, particularly impressive or traumatic events.
  • Doctor-Nurse-Sick child
    Teacher-Child
    Store-Shopper
  • Events still short and isolated. Realistic props still required. Roles shift quickly.
3 Yrs.

  • Continues pretend activities of previous 2 stages, but now the play has sequence. Events are not isolated, for example, child mixes cake, bakes it, serves it, washes the dishes; or doctor checks patient, calls ambulance, takes patient to hospital and operates. Sequence evolves… not planned.
  • Compensatory toy… re-enactment of experienced events with new outcomes.
  • Associative play.
3.5 Yrs.

  • Carries out play activities of previous stages with a doll house and Fisher-Price toys (barn, garage, airport, village)
  • Uses blocks and sandbox for imaginative play. Blocks used primarily as enclosures (fences, and houses, for animals and dolls).
  • Play not totally stimulus bound. Child uses one object to represent another.
  • Uses doll or puppet as participant in play.
4 Yrs.

  • Begins to problem-solve events not experienced. Plans ahead. Hypothesizes “what would happen if…”.
  • Uses dolls and puppets to act out scenes.
  • Builds 3-dimentional structures with blocks which are attempts at reproducing specific structures child has seen.
5Yrs.

  • Plans a sequence of pretend events. Organizes what he needs – both objects and other children.
  • Coordinates more than one event at a time.
  • Highly imaginative. Sets the scene without realistic props.
  • Full co-operative play.

From Westby’s Symbolic Play Scale Check List