Most symbolizing (using an object to stand for something else) can be observed through your child’s ability to use her imagination in make-believe roles (e.g. playing doctor).
Your child’s ability to symbolize occurs in gradual steps and is dependent on interaction with other people and objects in her environment. One example of symbolic play could be your child using a large, empty box as a car after visiting a transportation museum.
It is important for your child to have a variety of opportunities to express herself symbolically; this would include encouraging your child to engage in art, drawing, and writing experiences to enhance symbolic thinking. Dramatic play or pretending also supports symbolic thinking. When your child uses symbolic thought, she accesses her memories to recall what she may have seen an object used for before, or how she could take what is seen and use it in a different way.
Your child can take in, remember, and recall information at this age fairly easily. You want your child to do more than just spit out information she has heard before; you want her to use her thinking skills.
Remembering is one of the areas parents support the most by asking the five W questions (who, what, when, where, and why). By this time you are probably wondering why remembering is discussed with symbolic play. The answer is very simple: Play improves memory and stimulates your child’s brain. Your child will pay more attention to a task when she can have periods of play without direction from you. When you give this period of time to your child it supports her capacity to think about play; to plan what will happen; what actions, language, emotional expressions will be given to a specific character your child will play; and what real, symbolic, or invented objects she will use during play. Symbolic play supports this entire process.
