A child is pretending to serve cookies to his stuffed toys. This stage of development is characteristic of which age range?

The behavior described, where a child is pretending to serve cookies to stuffed toys, is characteristic of the age range of 18-24 months because it captures an important aspect of early childhood development known as symbolic play. During this stage, children begin to engage in imaginative and pretend play, using objects to represent other objects and acting out scenarios. At this age, children start to demonstrate creativity and social skills, often mimicking adult behaviors and incorporating them into their play. This imaginative play is a fundamental part of cognitive and social development, as it helps children understand their environment and develop interpersonal skills.

While other age ranges do engage in pretend play to some extent, it is most pronounced in the 18-24 month range, as this is when children transition from simple parallel play to more complex symbolic interactions. The other options represent earlier or later stages where pretend play may not be as developed or may include more sophisticated levels of social interaction and role-play.