You will observe some common themes in your child's imaginative play. You can enrich these themes and extend her play by adding props and setting up a scenario for her to explore.

Restaurant Theme

Young children love to pretend to cook and eat food. As a bonus, you can reinforce manners and social skills while your child is playing.

• Let your child help set up the restaurant. Show her how to set the table.

• Let your child create a menu on the poster board. You can have her color pictures of the food she wishes to serves. Alternatively, she can paste on magazine pictures.

• Sit at the table and let your child take your order. Supply her with a small notebook so that she can pretend to write down your order.

• If desired, let her serve you real or pretend food.

Camping Theme

Why not consider expanding this theme with your child? It can be a fun family activity to camp out in the living room for the night. You could even make S′mores in the microwave for a bedtime snack.

• Set up the tent. If you don't have one, drape a large sheet over a table.

• Create a fake campfire. Arrange the sticks in a teepee shape. Cut out two flame shapes from the construction paper and prop them up among the stick structure.

• Arrange sleeping bags under the tent or around the campfire.

• Sit around the campfire and sing songs and tell stories. If your child will not be frightened, turn off the lights and use flashlights.

Medical Theme

Many young children are concerned and often fascinated about injury and illness. The subject of doctors and hospitals is something that your child may

wish to explore. You can easily change this into a veterinarian theme; simply add a few stuffed animals and a pet carrier.

• Fit the hat onto your child. Make a lab coat by drawing a pocket and adding a name to the shirt.

• 2 Let your child put Band-Aids on her dolls and pretend to give them shots to make them feel better.