make believe
Children's imaginative play
Make believe is imaginative pretense, especially by children: Let's play make believe.
As a verb phrase, to make believe is to pretend or act as if something were true: She made believe she didn't care.
As an adjective (usually hyphenated), make-believe describes things that are imaginary or pretended: a make-believe world, make-believe friends.
Act as though
- feignPretend to have
- act outPerform or misbehave
- play-actPerform pretend scenarios
- simulateImitate through modeling
impersonate · masquerade · charade · pose · fabricate · sham · bluff · fake
Imaginative childhood roleplay
- dress-upPlay involving costumes
- role-playAssume a character temporarily
- toysObjects for amusement
- gamesOrganized competitive activities
playhouse · puppets · tea party · imaginary friend · stuffed animals · teddy bear · costume · playdate
Account of events
- taleSpoken or written narrative
- storyAccount of events
- fictionImagined narrative work
- fableMoral tale with animals
myth · legend · once upon a time · happily ever after · narrator · plot · characters · storybook
Magical children's narrative
- enchantedUnder magical influence
- unicornMythical one-horned horse
- dragonLegendary fire-breathing reptile
- wizardPractitioner of sorcery
magic · fairy · mythical · goblin · elf · mermaid · sorcery · witch
Conscious fantasy while awake
- visualizeForm mental pictures
- inventCreate something new
- dream upInvent through imagination
- mind's eyeInternal visualization capacity
mental image · fancifulness · whimsy · fancy · conjure · envision · creative play · flight of fancy
pretend
Act as though
simulate · impersonate · masquerade · charade · pose · fabricate · sham · bluff · fake · put-on
pretend play
Imaginative childhood roleplay
games · playhouse · puppets · tea party · imaginary friend · stuffed animals · teddy bear · costume · playdate · hide-and-seek
narrative
Account of events
fable · myth · legend · once upon a time · happily ever after · narrator · plot · characters · storybook · bedtime story
fairy tale
Magical children's narrative
- enchantedUnder magical influence
- unicornMythical one-horned horse
- dragonLegendary fire-breathing reptile
wizard · magic · fairy · mythical · goblin · elf · mermaid · sorcery · witch · princess
daydream
Conscious fantasy while awake
mind's eye · mental image · fancifulness · whimsy · fancy · conjure · envision · creative play · flight of fancy · reverie
- pretend playpretend, pretend play, dress-up, dollhouse, dress up
- childhoodchildhood, baby, child, kid, toys
- kids playplaytime, playing, board games, blocks, card games
- child developmentbaby, toddler, newborn, infancy, milestones
- childhood behaviorsgiggling, skipping, tantrums, whining, pouting
- Childhood Magicmagic, fairy tales, Santa Claus, tooth fairy, Easter Bunny