Hi Moms,

Pretend play is an important aspect of childhood. It has numerous benefits but, the most important one in my opinion is having FUN. To read more on the benefits of pretend play, you can go here.

Today there are many avenues for our children even for pretend play. It could mean taking your children to Kidzania where they can pretend to be a pilot or a builder or a doctor or it could mean buying them toys for pretend play like kitchen utensils or ice cream sets or doctor set or fake vegetables etc. I love both these options. However, some of the most effective pretend play could also be one done at home using simple everyday things.

This post is about our indulgence in pretend play with the resources available in our home. This is to give you ideas for your own pretend play.

Here’s our picture post on JOIN OUR PRETEND PLAY.

Role play

Kids love role play. Few days back Aruja’s older friend had come to play. Within few minutes, she had shown him their new home.  They immediately started playing without any interference from us. The boy had gone to office and was sitting on his office table quietly talking into his phone and my girl had gone shopping. (Just to keep the record straight, I DON’T shop that much!)

Yes, having this mosquito net has been a boon. It works as a tent for camping, as a doctor’s clinic or as a new home.

So, when we went to a Alibaug beach and we found this lovely bike on the beach, we let her sit on it and imagine she was a biker. (Of course, with the permission of the owner.)

She found the wings and wand from the fancy dress party we held on her first birthday and she tried them out. She was thrilled to be a fairy.

Make an environment

I don’t know how many times we have used the dining chairs and tables to wrap bed sheets around them to make her home. Now, here are some ways to use a foam mattress. So, that’s a house with a room and a bedroom.

We also used a blue bed spread to make a lake. Can you identify all the animals who have come for a drink there or the fishes inside our lake?

Innovate

Few days back we had posted a picture of a sand scoop and asked you to tell us what it was and an innovative use for it. Well, here is one. We played balloon badminton with two of the sand scoops for almost half and hour. We laughed so much. It was thrilling to see my girl laugh so hard. To play, use the balloon like a shuttlecock and one has to use the scoop like a bat. You should not let the balloon fall to the ground. Keep to your side and serve the balloon using the bat to the other child. If any child lets it drop, he gets an “out” shout. Just shout, “OUT!” and continue. Try to keep the balloon maximum in the air by using the bats to hit it to the other side. Try this to believe the fun we had.

Toys and games

I have posted this picture of our tea party so many times. I just love the way Aruja slurps the tea (water) from the saucer. Use tiny tea sets to help your kids have a tea party. With water for tea and some biscuits and some tiny clay cakes?

 

Clay play is also a very useful tool. Here, my daughter actually made a chapati and vegetable for me. She packed it all up in a tiffin and physically left me to office. My office was in the other room. Then few minutes later she came and said, “Did you have lunch?” I thought I had found time to work and was seriously working when she said, “It’s lunch time. Come I will feed you!” and then she proceeded to feed me as I said, “Don’t feed me so much. I am not hungry.” That done, she returns few minutes later and announces she has come to pick me up as the day is over and it’s night. She took me back to the house and made fresh chapati and vegetables for me. I kept saying, “I don’t want more. Please, please, I am full.” and she kept saying, “Eat, eat one more chapati. It will make you strong. Listen to me and you will be healthy.” I guess, that was a strong role reversal. I don’t think I will coax her to eat again!

 

We had been gifted a foldable tent. It was very simple to assemble and my daughter would also help me assemble it. She has spent many moments of pretend play using it as a restaurant kitchen with outdoor seating for me, as a house, as a tent in a jungle etc.

 

Most of us have lot many soft toys. My daughter is a fussy eater so one day before she came from school, we organized a toy’s lunch. We kept all the soft toys in a circle with their own plates and spoons and glasses and also one empty seat for my daughter. She had a lovely lunch with her graffy, her snowy, her mani mau, her marie, her browny and her Minnie. Now why are all of them ending in an “I” sound, I wonder.

Unfortunately, I was unable to locate the picture of that one but, here is a class of kids. I was trying to read them all a story.

 

You could also have some fun with your child when you go for some outings? Here is one of our photos when we had been to a resort.

Use craft

We have our old post to make a Minnie’s ice cream shop. Have you seen it? Here is a photo. We spent days selling the ice candy and cones.

Some time back we had posted some cupcake crafts on our creative bits page. You could easily also make these at home. Try opening a cake shop and your child could be the baker?

 

Hope our post helped you identify some of your own pretend play ideas to explore.

And before I go, I wanted to share with you how well the below quote sums me up. What about you?

 Much love and Happy having fun.

Poornima

Photo credit (few) – Morguefile