Kids need free time to stretch their imaginations! During pretend play, kids aren't just keeping busy, they are learning about their world, developing practical skills and expanding their creative problem solving abilities.
While children naturally gravitate towards imaginative play on their own, parents and caregivers can nurture a child's imagination with some simple ideas for a variety of dramatic play scenarios. These will come in handy when you want some screen-free activities because you are stuck inside with the kids!
Kitchen Play Area
Make a super simple range and oven out of a cardboard box! Add some utensils from the real kitchen, some plastic containers, an apron and oven mitt. Your kids are ready to cook up something delicious.
Grocery Shopping
Find a basket with a handle, grab some canned and dry goods from the pantry to stock pretend grocery shelves. Use a bookshelf as a make-do grocery store shelf. Fill an old wallet with pretend money and expired membership cards. Upend a cardboard box to act as a counter for a grocery store clerk.
Puppet Show
If your kids don't have puppets already, have an arts and crafts session to make stick puppets from our free printables or cut out magazines. For extra fun, craft a table top puppet theater from a cardboard box.
Library
Make pretend library cards, set up a check out station behind a table using a block as a make believe barcode scanner, and fill a book bag from bookshelves in the house. For extra fun, set up a reading corner for reading aloud to dolls and stuffed animals, fill out a reading log and color our printable bookmarks.
Cleaning Service
Teach kids this practical life skill early! Stock a plastic bin with spray bottles, sponges, washcloths, rubber gloves and scrub brushes. The bottles can be empty or filled with water. A child sized broom or a bucket with a mop will also come in handy.
Camping
String a rope between two chairs and fashion a sheet over it. Pull wide the edges of the sheet and weigh down the corners with cans or books to form a tent. Kids can pack a small field bag with things they think they might need on a camping trip, and spread out a sleeping bag. As a bonus, grab a flashlight and a stack of books for a cozy reading session.
Doctor's Office or Hospital
Let your kids use up a box of band-aids on their dolls and toys! Add in a roll of gauze, a craft stick for a tongue depressor, and a small empty bottle for pretend disinfectant. If you don't have toy doctor's equipment, kids will happily use their imaginations to turn a pair of tongs or a wooden spoon into tools of the trade.
Restaurant
Set up a table with chairs, grab some of those take-out menus you keep on the fridge, and a notepad and pencil to role play as a waiter. Kids can draw food items and cut them out to place on plates to deliver the food to hungry dolls and stuffed animals.
Bank
First, set up an arts and crafts session so kids can design and make their own play money and ATM cards! Use a table or cardboard box as a bank teller's station. One child plays teller as others approach to make deposits, withdrawals or get change.
Airport and Airplane
Use a cardboard box open at both ends as a pretend luggage scanner. Set up rows of chairs to mimic an airplane, print out or make pretend airplane tickets and pack a small suitcase (don't forget the snacks). Kids can get practice at going through security and finding their seat on the plane.
Fire Station
Turn a large cardboard box into a fire engine! For a hose you can use a use a rolled up sheet that you secure at intervals with rubber bands.
Detective Agency
Solve mysteries around the house! Don a hat, grab a magnifying glass and get sleuthing! Our list of spy activities will give your kids even more imaginative ideas.
Tea Party
Every child loves to have a tea party! Start things off right by reading one of our favorite books about tea time and tea parties. Next, set up chairs for all your child's favorite dolls and stuffed animals. Set out cups, plates and napkins. Add some cooled herbal tea and cookies for the sweetest tea party ever.
Art Studio
Combine pretend play with an arts and crafts session! If you don't have an easel, tape a large piece of paper to the wall with painter's tape. We love art projects that use a big roll of paper, so it's worth getting one of those for a pretend play art studio. Set out the paints and brushes. Turn a paper or plastic plate into an artists palette. Don't forget the beret!
Retail Store
Let your kids decide what they want to sell. Books? Toys? Set up shop by using a cardboard box as a counter, office supply stickers for price tags and play money for purchases.
Natalie says
I love your "invitation to play". I actually would really love to see my daughter play more, but she is a lot more likely to read unless she has company. If she plays pretend, she is usually fishing with tinkertoys - some tinkertoys are fish and some are fishing rods.
writersideup says
Erica, I just love the content you put up on your site. All the wholesome, best ways to encourage learning, reading, creativity and FUN!
Erica MomandKiddo says
What kind words! Thank you so much.
Anna@The Measured Mom says
Awesome round up! Sometimes kids do need a little encouragement in the pretend play direction - these are some great ways to get them started!
Tom says
Cool idea. That bizarreness must definately build creativity.