imaginary friends
Children's invisible playmates
Imaginary friends are invisible companions invented by children, treated as real playmates in conversation and play.
The phenomenon is considered normal in early childhood development.
Adults may speak of imaginary friends sarcastically when someone seems to be talking to no one or making up supporters: Who are you arguing with, your imaginary friends?
- pretend playImaginative childhood roleplay
- make believeImaginative fantasy play
- lonelinessState of lacking companions
- creativityCapacity for original thought
- childhood developmentMaturation of the young
inner child · storytelling · bedtime stories · tea party · stuffed animals · emotional resilience · social skills · companionship · self-soothing · safe space · coping mechanisms · invisible · daydreaming · projection · identity formation · attachment theory · anthropomorphism · mental health
- childhoodchildhood, baby, child, kid, toys
- coloring subjectsanimals, butterflies, cats, dinosaurs, dogs
- pretend playmake believe, pretend, pretend play, dress-up, dollhouse
- toddlerstoddler, three-year-old, toddlerhood, terrible twos, first steps
- childhood behaviorsgiggling, skipping, tantrums, whining, pouting
- childhood friendshipbest friends, playmates, sharing, birthday parties, sleepovers
imaginary friendsreal people
imaginary friendsmutual friends
People known to both parties
schoolmates · childhood friends · neighborhood kids · classmates · siblings