Play Fosters Intellectual Development
Symbolic Thought
Both Piaget and Vygotsky asserted that play is a major influence in cognitive growth (Curwood, 2007; Hirsh-Pasek & Golinkoff, 2003; Jones & Reynolds, 2011; Zigler et al., 2004). Piaget (1962) maintained that imaginative, pretend play is one of the purest forms of symbolic thought available to the young child.
Vygotsky (1978) also extolled the value of such fantasy play, arguing that during episodes of fantasy and pretend play, when children are free to experiment, attempt, and try out possibilities, they are most able to reach a little above or beyond their usual level of abilities, referred to as their zone of proximal development.