Signing Time Dictionary

Over 400 common signs, including the top starter sings for your baby!

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Pretend in Sign Language

Learn how to sign pretend in ASL (American Sign Language). There are so many fun things we can do when we pretend!

  1. Take one hand and place the thumb on your opposite cheek.
  2. Press the rest of the fingers together so they are all touching and then open and close them up against the thumb a few times.
  3. There isn’t really a great visual to help you remember this sign – you just have to memorize it!

Teaching Tips – to learn how to sign pretend in ASL

  • It is so much fun to play pretend! Choose an imaginary person you would like to be… a superhero, a character from a book, or anyone else you can imagine. Pretend to be that person. What would they do? Sign pretend as you go.
  • Interactive games for preschoolers that encourage them to pretend offer endless value. Play charades built around a theme you are learning about. You can pretend to be community helpers, animals, dinosaurs, things that go (car, truck, etc.). Have the other children guess what the one pretending is supposed to be, then switch.

Transcript:
Pretend. Put your thumb on your opposite cheek and tap it with your fingers. Pretend!

Want to improve your family’s signing? Learn more with our fun lessons.

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