Imaginary play activities are not only enjoyable in their own right, but also offer clear intellectual, social, and emotional benefits to children who participate in them. This article describes the nature of imaginary play as observed in some Montessori classrooms and lays the groundwork for developing a position statement on imaginary play for the early childhood years. In view of prevailing research supporting the importance of pretend play in the child's overall development, the stage is set for an interchange of ideas on whether Montessori's original proposal to align imagination with the elementary curriculum still holds true, or if the time has come to realize that pretend play has something to offer early childhood classrooms.