The Development of Humour and Pretending from Infancy to Three-Years

Play is an important part of early learning and development. It is central in the Early Years Foundation Stage, with exploration and imagination included as specific learning goals (Department for Education, 2014). Humour and pretending are two forms of play which have the potential to encourage exploration and imagination. Humour, at its most basic, involves enjoying something done wrong, e.g., putting a sock on one’s hand (Hoicka & Gattis, 2008; Hoicka, Jutsum, & Gattis, 2008). In contrast, pretending involves something technically wrong, but right in one’s imagination (Nichols & Stich, 2003). For instance, one could imagine the sock is a mitten. This article will discuss: 1. types of humour and pretending in infancy through 3 year; 2. how social factors influence humour and pretending; 3. humour and pretending in developmental disorders; and 4. differences in humour and pretending.