Understand power and identity in children’s play

Ranging from princess play to gun play, The Power in Pretend questions and sheds light on the ways children play with ideas of power. Children’s play often tells a story of power through the roles they choose to play: exercising power over, power with, or power for peers, adults, or phenomena from the wider world. Allowing and supporting these types of play, even when they may make adults uncomfortable, is key to fostering children’s identity and agency. The book gives practical strategies for adults in early childhood settings to support this sense of power in pretend play and in real ways. It draws on an updated understanding of gender expression, as well as a nuanced approach to consent, and includes a contemporary understanding of the development of executive function skills and their impact on young children’s behaviors. The book also considers cultural influences on children’s play and adults’ reactions, as well as how peer interactions and play may be affected by differences among children.

Age Focus: 3-6. Softbound. 152 pages.

Available April 2025

REVIEWS

"Mike Huber's new book provides an answer to the ongoing question posed by many early childhood educators, "So what do I do while they're playing?" This! You do this! The Power In Pretend reminds readers of the depth of what happens when children have time to play and when educators take the time to really see." —Lisa Murphy, M.Ed., Author, Speaker, Early Childhood Specialist, and CEO & Founder, Ooey Gooey, Inc.

"This is a must-have book for those interested in understanding the complexity of play. Mike Huber shares his personal experience together with research to illuminate our adult responsibilities in curating dynamic spaces for children's agency and sense of community, that truly value children's play—all their play." —Suzanne Axelsson, author of The Original Learning Approach and Riskfylld Lek och Undervisning (Risky Play and Teaching)