Imaginary companions are most likely to first develop during the stage of development.

Having imaginary friends are most commonly experienced by children during the preoperational stage of cognitive development. Studies showed that this is usually exhibited by children from ages 2 to 6 where they apply their imagination when playing. An imaginary friend is believed to be conceptualized based on your child's favorite stuffed animal, a cartoon character that she loves or it can be created purely from her imagination.

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