Imaginative games and pretend play form a large part of a young child's world. Playing out everyday experiences and dressing up are ways for your child to express themselves at a time when they cannot use words. Kids love to pretend they are an adult, doing 'adult things', like going to work, changing the baby and driving the car. Often household props can be used for many of these games. Keep a few big boxes which can easily be transformed into cars, teddy bear beds, little houses or even robot bodies!

Kitchen Play

Kids love 'cooking' and the more realistic the better. Give them cookie cutters, measuring cups, spoons and playdough. Part of the activity can include decorating a cardboard box with circles to represent hotplates on an oven. You can even cut an oven door for them to open and close! Make a pretend cake using a shoebox and decorate it using different coloured play dough.

Shops

Help your kids to set up a pretend shop. If they don't have a real cash register or money use a container and some spare money/ international coins of your own. Keep tins and small boxes out of the kitchen for them to use and a small basket for the shopper. You can then help them write a shopping list and visit their store. Talk about the different areas of a grocery store, such as bread is found in the bakery, meat is found in the butchery, vegetables are found in the produce section etc. Let your kids take it in turns to be the shopkeeper. A great way for older kids to learn about the value of money and budgets- maybe they only have a certain amount to spend and can't have everything in the store. Just like real life!

Teddy Bears Picnic

Get the children to decide which teddies will attend, you can even write out invitations for them. Prepare some picnic food (using play-doh or old kitchen boxes) and pack a basket. Choose a room in the house or even a shady spot in the garden and set up a blanket, tea set and the food. This will keep your children entertained as they serve everyone sandwiches and tea. You can even come in and tell a teddy bear story to them all!

Visit the zoo

Let your child take his/her favourite toy to the zoo! Set up some small kid size chairs one behind the other as if your child is driving the car. Put his/her favourite toy in the "passenger" seat. Set up any toy animals you have in a room in the house. Ask your child to explain to his/her toy the different names of the animals and the sounds they make. Group the same animals together, for example, keep the birds together, safari animals together etc.

Visit to the Pet Shop

Gather all your childrens stuffed toys together in a corner of a room in the house as if they are for sale in a pet shop. Discuss the different types of pets, what they eat and how to take care of them. Ask your children to each choose their favourite pet to buy. Use play money or spare coins for your children to pay for the pet. You can even make up an adoption certificate on a piece of paper. Discuss the name for the new pet!

Author:
Cara Mullin

Posted: 8 July 2006

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