15 October 2007

Pretend Play

My kids have no school today, so I've given them some ideas for pretend play and they are having a blast! Pretend play helps children in all areas of development: language, intellectual, social and motor. And children that are good at pretend play often become good readers and writers with vivid imaginations.

Collect and sort a few props:

ZOO
stuffed animals, empty pet food boxes, pet toys, food bowls, , child size broom, animal books

GROCERY STORE
calculator/toy cash register, bags,sacks, food boxes/cans, coupons, play money, signs/newspaper ads, plastic food, stickers (price tags), baskets

LIBRARY
books, old magazines, index cards, videos, audio tapes, rubber stamps

SHOE STORE
lots of shoes in various sizes, shoe boxes, play money, rulers, socks, sacks

OFFICE
paper, pens, calculator, tote bags, rubber stamps, paper clips, telephone, enevelopes, tape, file folders, scissors

POST OFFICE
junk mail, envelopes, small boxes, stickers/stamps, shoulder bags, rubber stamps

13 comments:

utmommy said...

My girls love to play school and library. I may have to try some of the other ones.

An Ordinary Mom said...

My kids also love to play Traveling at the Airport. They pack their belongings and off they go. Excellent post!

Yvonne said...

I will pass this on to my daughers-in-law, they're the only ones with little kids. Looks like such great fun.

Holly (2 Kids and Tired) said...

What great ideas! My kids love pretend play. It's amazing what their little imaginations can come up with.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like my preK class! I firmly believe and practice the integrated approach to learning :-)

ps: I soooo wish that I'd taken pregnant belly shots! Your photographs are beautiful, C

someone else said...

What a great idea! There is plenty of room for imagination with all those supplies.

Anonymous said...

those are great ideas. right now my boys are playing airplane on the top bunk

Anonymous said...

Great ideas! Can't wait to try. All our imagination play seen to be "Fight!" which involves various action figures and "Superman" which should be self explanatory. Time to broaden our horizons.

Chellie said...

Fun! I always love your ideas! The play grocery store with all the pretend food and money was always my favorite.

Michelle said...

These are great ideas! Some we've done, but not to this extent. We will do them now! Thanks. :)

Elozia Marie said...

I love all those ideas! I was full of great ideas when I did preschool, and now that I'm a mom, I seem to get anmesia! You are such a fun mom!

Meta said...

you are full of fun ideas! thanks for sharing. at our house, we are usually tigers or dogs!!! my daughter went through a phase where she was convinced that her mother was a dog!!

Gran said...

Excellent ideas that will be so helpful to young mothers. :)


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