Two-year-olds don't do a lot of imaginative play, but they do enjoy pretend play. The two styles are similar but not exactly alike. Here's the difference: Two-year-olds pretend to be a mom, a dad, or a baby, but they don't create elaborate story lines to accompany who they are pretending to be. Once they are four or five years old, children make up entire plots and weave fantasies about the characters they are pretending to be. Until then their play is limited to mimicking and imitating people they know, including parents, other family members, teachers, and friends.

Playing Kitchen

Since child-sized kitchen sets can be expensive, you can take large cardboard boxes and paint on the details of an oven, stove, and refrigerator. Give your child pots, pans, and plastic or paper dishes so he can cook and serve dinner. His pretending won't go much further than stirring and serving a meal, so you may need to encourage him by setting up the story and adding words to the play. For example: “Oh, are you making me dinner?” “What did you make?” “Mmmm. It's good. Thank you.” Ask your child questions about the meal, but if she can't tell you what she's pretending, then keep a running commentary going about the play.

Bedtime

Even if your two-year-old doesn't have a toy crib or cradle, you can use a box for a bed and let your toddler put a doll or stuffed animal to bed. You might give him all the objects you use when you put him to bed, such as a toothbrush and toothpaste, washcloth, sheets for the bed (you can use dish-towels), some books, and a stuffed animal for the “baby.” This is a good game to play with a toddler who doesn't like to go to bed himself.