In pretend play, children not only practice using language, but also take it to social and cognitive areas of development. Children have the chance to try out social situations and explore ideas.   There is an enormous amount of information on kinds of play, stages of play and how play influences other areas of development. Start thinking about play as another opportunity to make connections and take turns. Any familiar routine can easily become a pretend play situation.

• Start with single ideas:
  sleeping, pouring, eating

• Begin connecting ideas:
    pouring and drinking, stirring and pouring, sleeping and waking

• Link several ideas:
  Opening a box, pouring in a bowl, adding ingredients, stirring, pouring in a pan,    
      baking in the oven.

Pretend play props help to prompt children to play. Props can be anything from actual cake mix boxes, spoons, bowls, aprons etc. to props that are representational to your child such as a stuffed toy used a baby. It is easier to use life like props and then to use more “pretend” props, (i.e. a box as an oven or a stick as bottle). It is easier to pretend yourself and then to give roles to others especially inanimate objects.

It is important to follow your child’s lead, make connections and take turns in the play the same way you take turns in conversation. It will feel more fun and playful without an agenda.

Pretend Play Ideas from the Show Jo books:

Wash your hands

• Pretend to turn the water on,
• Use an empty bottle or pretend prop and pretend to get soap
• Rub hands together to pretend to make bubbles,
• Make a rinsing noise and rinse the bubbles off,
• Dry hands

Easy - use a pretend sink and an empty bottle with pretend soap and an actual towel.

More difficult- Using a box to represent the sink.  Pretending to wash a dolls hands.

Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

• Get the bread
• Put peanut butter on the bread
• Put jelly on bread
• Put the two together
• Take a bite

Easy - Use pretend plastic bread and real empty jars of peanut better and jelly.

More difficult- Use paper for bread and just pretend to spread something on it. Give a bite to a toy or a doll.