ABSTRACT
If we look back at the history of child psychology, we can identify two opposing views of the development of the imagination. According to one account, early childhood is the high season for the imagination as reflected in the time that children spend in pretend play. On this view, as children get older, they adopt a more sober and objective stance and the role of the imagination declines. According to the second view, the imagination is not especially characteristic of early childhood. It is a capacity that contributes to cognitive development and to normal adult functioning. Although it is true that pretend play declines, this particular type of imaginative activity can be seen as just one early manifestation of a wideranging and sustained capacity.
