Pretend play
Most babies start simple pretend play, like feeding or rocking a doll or teddy, around their first birthday. In large studies of parents' reports, about half did this by about 11 to 14 months, and 9 in 10 by about 16 months.
How sure are we?
Fairly sure. Large studies in many countries agree it starts around the first birthday, but they all asked parents, and their ages differ by a couple of months. How we know this
What it’s a sign of
Your child is starting to use one thing to stand for another, the beginning of imagination.
More complex pretending, like acting out a meal, comes later: about 2 years in the four-country study. The CDC lists using one thing as if it were another at 30 months, because it uses the age by which about 3 in 4 children do it, rounded up to a check-up. Researchers also disagree about how much pretend play itself helps children develop.
Studies where researchers watch children play couldn't be read yet. Parents may count some copying as pretending.
A main source for the ages
Pretending with a doll or toy animal, by age: our count from Wordbank v3.4
MyHappyBub (analysis of Wordbank open data) · 2026
- Children
- About 4,900 American word lists, plus about 9,000 in 10 other languages
- Where
- The United States, with a check in 10 other languages
- Ages
- 8 to 18 months
- How
- Our own count from parents' answers in the open Wordbank collection
- What it found
- In American English, parents of about half of babies said their baby pretended with a doll or toy animal (like feeding or rocking it) by 11 months, and 9 in 10 by 16 months. In other languages, half got there between about 10 and 15 months.
- Limits
- Parents tick yes or no, and may count some copying as pretending. Each month is a different group of children. The other languages' forms aren't identical.
A main source for the ages
Similarities and differences in child development from birth to age 3 years by sex and across four countries: a cross-sectional, observational study
Ilgi Ozturk Ertem, Vibha Krishnamurthy, Mphelekedzeni C. Mulaudzi, Yanina Sguassero, Hakan Balta, Ozlem Gulumser · 2018 · Lancet Global Health
- Children
- About 4,900 healthy children
- Where
- Argentina, India, South Africa and Turkey
- Ages
- Birth to 3½ years
- How
- Trained staff asked parents open questions about what their child could do, at health clinics
- What it found
- Found the age by which half of children reached more than 100 milestones. Most came at similar ages in all four countries, and for boys and girls. For example, half of children waved bye-bye by about 11 months and said a first word by about 9 months.
- Limits
- Only four countries and no rural areas, children from city clinics, and only healthy children (about half of those who came were left out for health reasons). It gives the age for half of children, not the full spread.
A main source for the ages
Evidence-Informed Milestones for Developmental Surveillance Tools
Jennifer M. Zubler, Lisa D. Wiggins, Michelle M. Macias, Toni M. Whitaker, Judith S. Shaw, Jane K. Squires, Julie A. Pajek, Rebecca B. Wolf, Karnesha S. Slaughter, Amber S. Broughton, Krysta L. Gerndt, Bethany J. Mlodoch, Paul H. Lipkin · 2022 · Pediatrics
- Children
- A review of 34 studies and common checklists, not one group of children
- Where
- Studies from many countries (14 of the 24 with age data were from countries where English isn't the main language)
- Ages
- 2 months to 5 years
- How
- Experts reviewed studies and checklists, then placed each milestone at the check-up age by which about 3 in 4 children do it
- What it found
- Places calling a parent "mama" or "dada" at 12 months, and saying 1 or 2 other words at 15 months. These are ages by which about 3 in 4 children have started, rounded up to a check-up age.
- Limits
- Experts' judgement set the ages, and some milestones rest on opinion rather than measured ages. The lists haven't been tested to see whether they help.
If you’re worried about your child, talk to your child and family health nurse or GP.
Last checked 2 November 2026