Nursery World - The invisible guest

What does it mean when a young child has a friend you can't see - and what impact does it have on life at home and in the nursery? Jackie Cosh takes a closer look Over 30 per cent of children have an imaginary friend at some stage in their childhood. It is most likely to make its presence felt between the ages of three and seven, when a child is beginning to understand the differences between fantasy and reality. For the majority of the children who have one, the friend is never a problem and it tends to evaporate in time.

Over 30 per cent of children have an imaginary friend at some stage in their childhood. It is most likely to make its presence felt between the ages of three and seven, when a child is beginning to understand the differences between fantasy and reality. For the majority of the children who have one, the friend is never a problem and it tends to evaporate in time.

This friend may be a person or an animal, and may have an imaginative name, such as Mr Minky, or a common one, such as Chloe.

Imaginary friends get up to all sorts of fun and mischief, especially if the child is usually well-behaved.

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