As one of the most advanced play forms in
childhood, pretend play often demonstrates positive associ￾ations with children’s development. However, results from
research that examines the association between social skills
and pretend play are mixed, especially when the complexity
of pretend play is taken into account. Moreover, few studies
on pretend play are conducted in outdoor environments; a
setting which affords many opportunities for engagement in
pretend play and unstructured social interactions. By
observing children’s outdoor pretend play, the primary
purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships
between different types of pretend play and children’s social
skills. Twenty-eight children from high quality childcare
centers in a southeast suburban area were observed during
outdoor free play time. Using a reliable time sampling
protocol, each child’s play was observed and recorded for a
total of 45 min to an hour over a 2-week time period. Lead
teachers rated children’s social skills in the areas of coop￾eration, self-control, and assertiveness. Results showed high
amounts of pretend play behavior overall, and differential
relationships between the type of pretend play children
engaged in and children’s social skills. Surprisingly, these
relationships were not associated with gender. Findings are
discussed in light of the value of pretend play to promote
social skill development and the potential for outdoor con￾texts specifically to encourage these play behaviors.

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Tersedia

• Links Between Preschool Children’s Social Skills and Observed Pretend Play in Outdoor Childcare Environments

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