The relevance of Vygotsky's theory of creative imagination for contemporary research on play

Smolucha's translations of previously untranslated works by Soviet psychologists Vygotsky, El'konin, and Moukhena provide a theoretical framework in which pretend play is learned through interactions with more experienced play partners and leads to the the development of creative imagination. Data from an ongoing study of 6 mother‐child dyads support El'konin's claim that children learn how to do object substitutions, such as using a stick as a horse, from a play partner during the second year of life. Further studies are needed to determine whether training in play techniques, such as object substitutions, enhances the development of creative imagination.