Pretend Play Games

Most likely, your child will not need much encouragement to engage in pretend play on her own, but if she does, these activities can get the ball rolling. You will notice that each activity also promotes social interaction.

Act It Out

This simplified version of charades is a great activity for the whole family.

• Before the game, glue the magazine pictures onto the index cards.

• Place the cards into a hat or other container.

• Each person gets a turn to “act it out.” The player removes a picture from the hat and gets 10 seconds on the timer to imitate/mime the character on the card. When the time is up, other players guess the picture.

• You can choose to let the person who guesses correctly have the next turn or the turns can be predetermined.

Character in a Bag

This is a silly game that will get your child's imagination going! Be sure to use clothing that is easy to put on and take off.

• Label the bags with markers. You can number them or use shapes or colors to make it easier.

• Sort the clothing, shoes, and accessories. Place the clothing in the first bag, the shoes in the second bag, and the accessories such as hats and handbags in the third bag.

• Each person gets a turn to be a character. The player randomly pulls one item from each bag to put on. Once dressed, the person describes who she is and what she does.