Pretend play ideas for kids

Safety first

Choose a clear, tidy corner and move sharp edges, breakable things and anything hot out of reach. Use only stable furniture, and let a grown-up check that chairs, tables and boxes cannot tip or slide before children climb in or lean on them. Never put plastic bags over heads, and keep all bags and wrapping away from babies and toddlers. Children under three can put things in their mouths, so avoid small parts such as buttons, coins, beads and bottle caps in their set-up, and stay close. Do not use real medicines, real tools, knives or hot food as props. Draw or pretend instead. A grown-up should stay within sight and hearing throughout.

1. Paper-tag shop

Props: small household items to sell (a spoon, a cloth, a toy), paper and a crayon for price tags, a bowl for pretend money, and a basket.

Roles: shopkeeper, customer, and someone who packs the basket.

1. Lay the items on a table or a low shelf and make a paper price tag for each one.
2. Cut paper circles or squares to use as pretend money.
3. The customer chooses things, asks the price and pays.
4. Swap roles after a few turns.

How to wrap up: The shopkeeper announces that the shop is closing, and everyone helps put each item back where it lives.

2. Doctor's corner for soft toys

Props: soft toys, a blanket for a bed, a scarf for a bandage, paper for a chart, and a cardboard tube as a pretend listening tool. Use no real medicines, syringes or tools.

Roles: doctor, helper who writes the chart, and the toy's carer who explains what is wrong.

1. Make a bed on the floor for the first patient.
2. The carer describes how the toy feels today.
3. The doctor listens, gives a gentle check and draws a get-well picture on the chart.
4. Tuck the toy in with a soft word and call the next patient.

How to wrap up: Wish each patient well and carry them back to their usual spot, one by one.

3. Post office with letters

Props: paper, envelopes or folded paper, crayons, paper squares as stamps, and a shoebox with a slot as a postbox.

Roles: letter writer, postal worker, and the person who receives the post.

1. Write or draw a letter and put a name on the front. A drawing counts as a letter.
2. Add a paper stamp and post it in the box.
3. The postal worker sorts the letters and delivers them around the room.
4. Read the letters aloud, then write replies.

How to wrap up: Take down the last post of the day, and keep the best letters in a folder for next time.

4. Cardboard-box bus

Props: a large, clean, empty cardboard box with the flaps taken off, a paper plate for a steering wheel, paper tickets and a few cushions for seats.

Roles: driver, ticket seller, passengers.

1. A grown-up cuts any rough edges and makes sure the box sits flat and steady.
2. Decorate the sides with crayons and draw windows.
3. Passengers buy a ticket, sit down and say where they are going.
4. The driver calls out each stop and everyone makes a sound for the engine.

How to wrap up: Announce the last stop, let everyone get off in an orderly line, and park the bus flat against a wall.

5. Restaurant with a drawn menu

Props: a folded sheet of paper for a menu, crayons, a notepad, a tray, plain plates and cups, and a cloth for the table. No real food is needed.

Roles: cook, waiter, customers, and a menu artist.

1. Draw four or five dishes on the menu, with a made-up name and a price beside each.
2. The waiter takes the order and writes or draws it on the pad.
3. The cook pretends to make it, and the waiter serves it on a plate.
4. Customers say thank you and pay with paper money.

How to wrap up: Clear the plates, wipe the table with a dry cloth and fold the menu away for the next visit.

6. Sheet tent

Props: a clean sheet or light blanket, four sturdy chairs, cushions, a soft toy or two, and a book to read inside.

Roles: camp builder, camper, storyteller.

1. A grown-up places the chairs back to back on a flat floor, away from shelves and hot or breakable things.
2. Drape the sheet over the chairs and tuck the edges so that nothing can pull the chairs over. The grown-up tests that it is stable.
3. Keep it light and open on at least one side so that air flows and you can see in.
4. Climb in, share a story or tell each other what you can see through the wall of the tent.

How to wrap up: Lift the sheet off with a grown-up, fold it together as a team, and slide the chairs back to the table.

More to do on Rangooo

Draw your props with easy drawing ideas, make signs and tickets from recycled crafts, try more indoor games, play market and shopping games, cook up pretend cooking games, fill a wet afternoon with rainy day activities, browse more stories and activities, or see resources for teachers.

Questions

What age is pretend play for?

Many children enjoy pretend play from about two years old, and it can carry on well into the primary years. Toddlers like simple set-ups such as the tent or the soft-toy doctor's corner, while older children often enjoy writing menus, price tags and letters.

Do we need to buy any toys or props?

No. Every set-up here uses things most homes already have, such as paper, cardboard boxes, soft toys, cushions and a clean sheet. Drawing a prop on paper works just as well as a bought one.

How can we keep the mess manageable?

Pick one corner of a room and keep the props in a single box or basket. Agree on a short tidy-up song or a clock time before you start, and use the wrap-up tip so that packing away becomes the last part of the game.

What if my child wants to play alone?

That is fine. Many children enjoy talking to soft toys or acting out a whole shop on their own. Stay nearby and invite yourself only if you are asked, perhaps as a customer or a passenger.