In your experience - what age does role play/imaginative play start to end? By that, I mean playing school, vets, playing shop etc.

I'm in no rush what so ever for it to end - I love it and would miss it when it is eventually no longer evident in our home. I am finding that, if anything, it is getting deeper and richer with my 8 and a half year old. Whatever experience we have is then recreated with soft toys later on. At the moment all the cuddly toys are apparently at Glastonbury - the Glastonbury thread made me write this post after chuckling to myself! (We watched it on tv - not a first hand experience for DD.)

I seem to remember playing to a far older age than all of my friends - but I also remember being a bit embarrassed by it and only playing behind closed doors - maybe all my friends were doing the same?

I'm sure there is a transition phase, where the play is gradually replaced with different types of play/recreation.

Just curious.