Play, while complex, is essential for children's learning and development. It is well established in the literature that there is a strong link between children's pretend play abilities and their language skills, particularly in relation to the use of language in social contexts. For many children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH), pretend play and language skills are often delayed, highlighting the important role of adults in supporting these skills. For many educators working with young DHH children, the focus is often centred on supporting communication and language, and less on play. We argue that play provides a rich and authentic context for supporting both language and pretend play abilities, with many educators requiring professional development to build knowledge and to implement a play-based approach to support children's language and pretend play. This paper outlines the key characteristics of pretend play and highlights the relationship between pretend play and language. Findings from several recent research studies are presented including the outcomes from a qualitative study that implemented a professional learning program that supported educators to implement a play-based approach to foster young DHH children's play and language abilities.