As one of the most advanced play forms in childhood, pretend play has demonstrated positive associations with child development in several domains. However, little research has been done to look at the association between pretend play and social skills. By observing children's outdoor pretend play, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between different types of pretend play and children's social skills, and also to examine the effects of several individual and home factors on this potential relationship. Results showed that overall pretend play was positively associated with assertiveness. Abstract pretend play was positively associated with assertiveness and cooperation. Social pretend play was positively associated with assertiveness, cooperation, and self-control. Social pretend play predicted all three social skills above and beyond other types of pretend play. No significant interaction was found for individual factors and pretend play. Parents' beliefs were significantly associated with children's social pretend play
