Action plays are popular with young children. They are a great way to engage your child's imagination. Just about any story or rhyme can be adapted. Let these activities serve as an inspiration — maybe you can think of other ways to get your child to act out stories.

Birds That Fly

This is a “follow the leader” activity. Much like Simon Says, the object is to fool the player(s). For younger toddlers, just stick with the true directives.

• Call out an animal and an action for your child to imitate. For example, when you call out, “Birds fly,” your child should flap his arms like a bird.

• There are many possible directives, such as frogs that hop, snakes that slither, or horses that gallop.

• Try to fool him once in awhile by calling out a silly directive. For example, say, “Fish hop.” If you fail to trick him, he gets a turn being the caller.

Jack-in-the-Box

This short-action play is sure to get your child's attention and bring some laughter as well. For younger age groups, you can instead play the song “Pop Goes the Weasel.” When the song gets to “pop,” everyone can pop up. You may need to cue the children when it is time to do this by yelling, “Pop!” or raising your arms.

• While your child crouches on the floor, repeat the following rhyme in a slow and suspenseful way: Jack-in-the-Box, so quiet and still. Will he come up?

• The child springs up and shouts, “Oh yes he will!!”

Rescue

Engage your child's imagination while helping him develop balance and large motor skills. You can change the theme of the rescue to suit your child's interest. Perhaps he can rescue the kitten from the dogs or the princess from the dragons.

• Place a bunch of rags in a small bag or basket.

• Have your child scatter these around the floor.

• Choose an object/prop to be rescued. This can be another rag, a stuffed animal, or something else. Toss this object into the center of the others.

• Challenge your child to walk in and retrieve (rescue) this object without stepping on the others. You might tell him that the dragons are sleeping and that he needs to tiptoe in carefully.

Jack and the Beanstalk

This is a fun activity to do right after reading the classic fairy tale by the same name.

• While reciting parts of the story, have your child imitate different parts of the action. Stomp around like the giant and tiptoe quietly like Jack.

Once I Saw a Bird

This cute action includes a nice variety of actions.

• Teach your child the following rhyme and corresponding movements:

Once I saw a little bird come hop, hop, hop

(hop around)

So I said, “Little bird will you stop, stop, stop?”

(hold hand in front of body)

I was going to the window to say, “How do you do?”

(wave)

When he shook his little tail and away he flew.

(wiggle rear end, then flap arms)