At what stage do children typically engage in make-believe play involving roles?

In cognitive development theory, particularly that proposed by Jean Piaget, make-believe play involving roles primarily occurs during the preoperational stage, which typically spans the ages of 2 to 7 years. During this developmental phase, children begin to use symbols to represent objects and engage in imaginative play.

Make-believe play is characterized by children taking on different roles, which allows them to explore social norms, experiment with various scenarios, and develop their understanding of the world through imaginative contexts. This type of play is fundamental for cognitive, social, and emotional development. It helps in developing skills such as creativity, perspective-taking, and problem-solving.

In contrast, during the sensorimotor stage, which occurs from birth to about 2 years, children are primarily focused on physical interactions with their environment and have not yet developed the ability to play symbolically. The concrete operational stage, which follows the preoperational phase and typically takes place from ages 7 to 11, is where children begin to think logically about concrete events but do not engage in pretend play in the same way. Finally, the adolescent stage, which usually starts around age 12, involves more complex thinking and social interactions but is not primarily characterized by make-believe play as experienced