Role play is a central activity in early childhood and can make a vital contribution to the young child's social, linguistic and symbolic development. This text relates perspectives from research and theory to the practical realities of the classroom in a readable and accessible way. It aims to provide both theoretical and practical guidance to practitioners who work with children in the Foundation Stage, thus helping them to deepen their understanding of this type of play and to address confidently some of the more challenging aspects of role play. These include appropriate adult intervention, children's behaviour, gender preferences and the influence of popular culture. The text is illustrated throughout with examples from early years practice and includes three detailed case studies of practitioners and children in a range of early years settings. It should prove useful to students and practitioners alike, including nursery and infant teachers and teaching assistants as well as students of all types of early years and childcare courses.