Engaging in pretend play is not only a fun and imaginative activity for children but also a valuable tool for their development. As a busy parent of preschoolers or elementary school-aged kids, you may be looking for creative ideas for pretend play that are easy to set up and use items you already have at […]
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Halloween Pretend Play – Witch’s Workshop
This Witch’s Workshop is an easy way to foster lots of creative Halloween pretend play! You can use vinegar and baking soda to create potions, measure and weigh toy spiders, or read Halloween stories together for “research”. Here are a few ideas to create a spooktacular witch’s workshop of your own! To make a witch’s […]
Pretend Play Ideas for Halloween
These pretend play ideas for Halloween are sure to provide hours of imaginative playtime fun! These ideas are simple to set up and can be made using dollar store items or other supplies you probably already have on-hand. Lots of spooktacular creative play activities to explore! Here are 5 of our favorite pretend play ideas […]
Pretend Paper Hair Salon for Kids
This pretend paper hair salon could keep the kids happily entertained for hours! During a recent visit to the craft store, Clara (age 8) spotted some foam heads. She had been wanting to create a pretend hair salon for some time, but I have a feeling this may only be the beginning of her crafting […]
Cardboard Crafts — Pretend Cookie Shop
On hot Summer days one of the last things I want to do is turn on the oven to bake cookies. Fortunately, simple cardboard crafts are a great alternative to baking! These pretend cardboard cookies are decorated with pretend icing that is light and fluffy and pretend sprinkles too! These cardboard cookies are all the fun of baking without the […]
Pretend Sandwich Set Quick Craft
Are your foodie kids looking for a pretend sandwich set how to? This pretend sandwich set is so quick and easy for the kids to make, and it is made from dollar store items (which you may already have on-hand). Imaginative play is an important part of kids’ development and this pretend sandwich set certainly […]
Getting Ready for Halloween with Pretend Play
With Halloween around the corner, now is a great time to prepare kids for trick-or-treating fun using pretend play to reinforce good manners, important safety tips, and proper Halloween etiquette. Here are some of our favorite ways for getting ready for Halloween with pretend play with lots of imaginative playtime fun thrown in! A BIG thank you […]
Pretend Cake Tutorial
It’s amazing how much learning actually takes place during pretend play. The first time I discovered that my son could add and subtract efficiently, without prior lessons and without prompting, was while playing grocery store. I was astonished as he added up my total! Thanks to several rainy days, we’ve recently had a great deal […]
DIY Pretend Food Round Up
Here are ten of our best handmade pretend food ideas that are easy to make, involve NO sewing, and are sure to inspire hours and hours of imaginative playtime fun!! These make great gifts for kids, and are inexpensive too. You may find them to be a bit addicting to make! Pretend Salad […]
Pretend Cinnamon Rolls
Here’s an easy DIY pretend food you can make for your kids that doesn’t involve any sewing, and the kids can help make them too! These pretend cinnamon rolls are simple and very inexpensive to make. They are sure to inspire plenty of imaginative play time fun! To make your own pretend cinnamon rolls, start […]
Pretend Hair Salon for Dolls
Wondering what to do with the kids on a rainy day? Are your dolls in desperate need of hair styling? Do they demand the absolute latest and greatest hair styles?? Then it’s time for a trip to the doll hair salon! Our doll hair salon is by appointment only, so be sure to call in […]
DIY Pretend Spy Kit!
Wondering what to do with the kids? Wish you could go on an exciting adventure? Do you yearn to be a secret agent?? Then this activity is for you! The best part is that most of the components for this Pretend Spy Kit can be found at your local dollar store or you may already […]
Pretend Play — Invisible Taxi
Wondering what to do with the kids?? Recently, my kids built an invisible taxi, and spent a very long time happily “driving” each other all around an intensely busy pretend city. I thought you may like to build an invisible taxi of your own to inspire plenty of imaginative playtime fun too! To make your […]
Rainy Day Fun — Pretend Pizzeria!
Need an idea for what to do with the kids on a rainy day? This pretend pizzeria kept Clara happily occupied and provided plenty of imaginative play time fun! We had already recycled our cardboard cafe into a cardboard classroom, and now it’s been recycled yet again into a pretend pizzeria. We used a […]
Pretend Office
Do you dread doing your taxes? Are the forms too confusing for you? Wish there was an easier way?? Now there is!! Call to make an appointment for Emily & Clara’s Tax Services, Inc. — the friendliest customer service, and most accurate tax returns ever! They are the hardest working team in the […]
Pretend Pretzels Made with Cleaning Cloths
The kiddos have been enjoying their cardboard cafe immensely!! Since then, there have been some requests for soft pretzels. Well, they didn’t have to twist my arm! I’ve made pretend pretzels from felt before, but this version is SO much easier — no sewing!!! To start, you will need some microfiber cleaning cloths. I found […]
Pretend Sweets Made with Sponges!
Recently, Emily and I made a bunch of pretend play sweets from dollar store sponges for her little sister’s holiday gifts. They were great fun, super frugal, AND very easy to make!! Emily cannot wait to gift these to Clara as part of her Christmas gift, and I love how pretend play food can lead […]