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Development Topics
Inside the Mind of a Child
Fantasy and Reality in the Preschool Years
Make-believe play is the hallmark of early childhood. They often have difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality. Older children in this stage are more likely to question magical or fantastical ideas. Despite this, you may see your preschooler or kindergartener struggle with differentiating fact from fiction in some of these ways:
• Scary movies (including cartoons) seem real. They often cause nightmares.
• Death is not understood to be permanent. Children believe that the deceased person can return.
• Superheroes exist. Children idolize the fantastic characters they see on TV.
Last updated: May 2005
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