SED 5: Symbolic and Sociodramatic Play

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Definition: Child develops the capacity to use objects to represent other objects or ideas and to engage in symbolic play with others

View examples of the developmental levels for SED Measure 5 below: Responding Earlier, Responding Later, Exploring Earlier, Exploring Later, Building Earlier, Buidling Middle, Building Later, Integrating Earlier

Note: For young children, learning is an integrated experience. The examples below may include multiple areas of learning and development.

Responding Earlier

Responds to people or objects in basic ways

Possible Examples

Cries in response to a loud voice.
Looks toward a lamp when it is turned on.
Moves arm in response to a touch.

Source: California Department of Education. 2009. California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations Series. https://www.cdevideos.org/.

Responding Later

Explores people and objects in a variety of ways

Possible Examples

Reaches toward an adult’s glasses.
Grabs a toy, shakes it, and then shakes it again.
Picks up a toy and mouths it.
Gazes intently at an adult’s changing facial expressions.

Source: California Department of Education. 2009. California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations Series. https://www.cdevideos.org/.

Exploring Earlier

Uses or combines objects in functional or meaningful ways

Possible Examples

Rocks a doll in arms.
Uses a brush on a doll’s hair.
Pushes a toy car along the floor.
Places objects from around the room in a toy shopping cart.

Source: California Department of Education. 2009. California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations Series. https://www.cdevideos.org/.

Exploring Later

Pretends that an object represents another object or serves a different purpose

Possible Examples

Uses a stacking ring as a bagel.
Holds a rectangular block to ear and talks into it as if it is a phone.
Pretends that puzzle pieces are cookies.

Source: California Department of Education. 2009. California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations Series. https://www.cdevideos.org/.

Building Earlier

Engages in pretend- play sequences

Possible Examples

Pretends to be a doctor and takes care of a stuffed bear that is “sick.”
Makes a pretend cake in the sandbox and offers a “taste” to an adult.
Makes a “pizza” out of play dough and puts it in the play oven.
Sits in a box, pretending it is a boat.

Source: California Department of Education. 2016.

Building Middle

Engages in pretend play with others around a shared idea

Possible Examples

Sits in a box with a peer, holding a “steering wheel,” and communicates, “My turn to drive the bus.”
Pours “coffee” for friends while seated together at a table in the dramatic play area.
Pretends to put out fires on the playground with others, using pretend hoses and wearing firefighter hats.

Source: California Department of Education. 2016.

Building Later

Engages in roles in pretend-play sequences with others

Possible Examples

Pumps arm while saying, “Whoo-whoo,” and then collects “tickets” from seated “passengers.”
Plays store, “scanning” items, placing them in bags, and collecting “money” from peers.
Uses a hose to “pump gas” as other children wait in line with their tricycles.

Source: California Department of Education. 2016.

Integrating Earlier

Engages in pretend- play sequences with others by organizing and negotiating roles or rules around a shared elaborated idea

Possible Examples

Agrees with peers on who will be the bus driver, who will be the child, and who will be the mommy, while acting out school-bus play.
Plans with peers to pretend to be a family going on a trip: using chairs as seats for a car, negotiating roles, and deciding where they will go.
Assigns roles and acts out classroom routines (e.g., circle time, snack time) with other children.

Source: California Department of Education. 2016.

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