Symbolic play is play in which a child uses an object, action or word to stand for something else, such as using a banana as a phone or a box as a car. It usually emerges in the second year and is an early sign of abstract thinking and language.
What you can do
- Offer simple, open-ended objects that can become many things.
- Join in: "Is that your phone? Who are you calling?"
- Let your child lead the story.
