Does Pretend Play Predict Later Creativity Development? Exploring Creative Trajectories from Pre-Kindergarten Through First Grade
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21612119 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Valeska Grau (0000-0002-4487-838X, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, corresponding author), María Francisca Morales (0000-0002-1971-8085, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), David Prei (0000-0002-4646-5060, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), David D Preiss (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), Katherine Strasser (0000-0003-2364-6798, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), Fernanda Rufs (0009-0000-0599-8744, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), Daniela Lagos (0009-0004-8182-1544, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile), Javiera Ramirez (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-17 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-04 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Creativity Research Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1040-0419 • E-ISSN: 1532-6934 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10400419.2026.2656864 |
| OpenAlex | W7160063876 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 56 |
Creativity is widely recognized as a core skill for the twenty-first century, yet its early developmental pathways remain insufficiently understood. This longitudinal study examined trajectories of creativity in a sample of 230 children aged 4–7, assessed across five waves from pre-kindergarten to first grade. Using group-based trajectory modeling, we identified three distinct patterns: “Accelerated Growth” (22.3%), “Gradual Growth” (72.6%), and “Early Peak and Recovery” (5.1%). Higher quality of fantasy during pretend play quality predicted membership in the Accelerated Growth pattern (OR = 4.91), while higher receptive language predicted Early Peak and Recovery (OR = 1.17). Demographic factors such as gender and school-level socioeconomic vulnerability were not significant predictors. Trajectory membership was associated with developmental outcomes: children in higher-growth groups demonstrated superior expressive and receptive language skills, as well as higher divergent thinking scores, by the first semester of 1st grade. Socioemotional differences were limited, with fewer peer problems observed in the Accelerated Growth group. Findings underscore the importance of promoting high-quality fantasy play and language development in early childhood education. Limitations include small subgroup sizes and reliance on visual-narrative creativity measures. Future research should incorporate multidimensional assessments and explore diverse populations to advance the understanding of creativity development
Cognition · Creative thinking · Creativity · Creativity technique · Divergent thinking · Art Education and Development · Creativity in Education and Neuroscience · Early Childhood Education and Development
Group-Based Modeling of Development
The Person Approach
The Brain's Default Network
Landscapes for play
Person-Centered and Variable-Centered Approaches to Longitudinal Data
Imagination and Creativity in Childhood
Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics
Why Isn't Creativity More Important to Educational Psychologists? Potentials, Pitfalls, and Future Directions in Creativity Research
A default mode of brain function
The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
The Standard Definition of Creativity
Creativity in early childhood
The Development of Divergent Thinking in 4- to 6-Year-Old Children
Creativity Landscapes
Socio‐Economic Status and Creativity
Play and Its Role in the Mental Development of the Child
The impact of pretend play on children's development
SDQ in the Hands of Fathers and Preschool Teachers—Psychometric Properties in a Non-clinical Sample of 3–5-Year-Olds
Evidence for Protective Effects of Peer Play in the Early Years
Solitary play and convergent and divergent thinking skills in preschool children
Engagement in social pretend play predicts preschoolers’ executive function gains across the school year
Assessing narrative comprehension in young children
Individual differences and age-related changes in divergent thinking in toddlers and preschoolers
A plausible role of imagination in pretend play, counterfactual reasoning, and executive functions
Beyond Big and Little
Distinguishing how from why the mind wanders
Beyond diathesis stress
| Highly cited | No |
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