Object Substitution Play: A Leading Activity for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Object substitution play can be independent of imaginary role-play and not have a storyline. In the game “hot potato” an object is tossed from one person to another, as if it was too hot to handle. Different objects can be used: a ball, a rock, a rolled-up sock, or a crunched-up piece of paper. Object substitution play can be introduced to infants at three months by caregivers moving their hand up the baby’s chest like a mouse, with a minimal narrative of “a mouse is crawling, crawling … gotcha”. Object substitution play is a precursor to pretend roleplay, and when introduced by caregivers leads to more advanced pretend play at younger ages. According to Vygotsky, this leads to the development of literacy, imagination, creativity, and abstract thinking (skills important in mathematics, science, the arts, and social studies). Introducing object substitution play with autistic children advances communication skills, and could do the same for neurotypical children. Many researchers and educators have assumed that symbolic play originates from the toddler’s solitary activities. A reimagined pedagogy would explore caregiver-initiated object substitution play beginning in early infancy.