3 Simple, Imaginative Play Ideas for Tots
This post is sponsored by Fisher-Price.
Do you have a toddler who enjoys imaginative play? AJ is now seventeen months and I love observing her play as it evolves to include more meaningful interaction with a range of simple props. Here are three of her current, favourite ways to play…
1. The Washing Basket (or a cardboard box)
Do you remember riding in the washing basket as a kid? Was it a plane? A boat? A car? A train? With a little imagination and a cheerful song our washing basket transforms into whichever vehicle we wish it to be.
We often like to sing our favourite transport songs as we ‘zoom’ around the room. Do you know these children’s songs?
- Up in the Air I Fly, Zoom, Zoom a Zoom a Zoom Zoom
- The Wheels on the Bus
- Â The Little Red Engine
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- Down By the Station Early in the Morning
- Take You Driving in My Car, Car
- Train is a-Coming, Oh Yeah
2. Dress Ups
Toddlers enjoy imitating their Mum, Dad, siblings and other significant family members by dressing up with simple accessories. It’s easy to get started with a small collection of everyday items such as;
- Hats,
- Sunglasses,
- Hand bags,
- Headbands,
- Old watches,
- Wallets and purses,
- Old mobile phones, and
- Adult-sized flat shoes.
Your collection can be added to over time to include commercially produced or homemade items such as character costumes, fairy wings, capes, masks and animal tails.
Having a mirror at a height that toddlers can see themself in is wonderful for supporting their developing sense of self, and storing your dress ups in an easily accessible basket or on some low hooks will encourage your toddler’s developing capacity for independent play.
3. Picnic or tea party
This invitation to play is perfect for involving older siblings – in both the set up and the play.
To create your own playtime picnic simply spread out a blanket (inside or outdoors) and add a collection of non-breakable cups and bowls, a tea pot and some pretend food (or coincide the picnic with afternoon tea time and set out your child’s real food snacks – as I did in this post).
Don’t forget to invite your child’s favourite soft toys to the party – the more the merrier!
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This post features Fisher-Price’s Laugh & Learn Puppy and Laugh & Learn Love to Play Sis. Suitable for babies and toddlers from six months of age, each of these cuddly friends combines play and learning for little ones, responding to their touch with sweet sayings, music and familiar childhood songs such as If You’re Happy and You Know It and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.
What are your toddler’s favourite ways to play?
Related Posts
- Tips for Drawing with Toddlers
- Toddler Eating: Breakfast Adventures
- DIY Imaginative Play Kitchen from a Cardboard Box
the cardboard box! kids used to imagine it as a bus. it really hels with their creativity.:)
The GIANT cardboard box is a favourite at our home too 🙂 xo P
I love what you did with your large cardboard box, Pauline 🙂
I have photos of you sitting in my washing basket on our back lawn (gee Christie that was a long time ago). It is lovely to see Immy and AJ enjoying a tea party together. Two lovely little girls doing what little girls do, just having fun. xxx
I wish all children had the opportunity to play in washing baskets 🙂 There’s just something so inherently childish about it.
Lucy is obsessed with her baby doll and pram at the moment. I think she would love the Laugh & Learn Love to Play Sis!
Both my girl’s love the puppies – and the voice on the sis is delightful. How old is Lucy? AJ loves her dolls and pram too at the moment – she’s seventeen months 🙂
Lucy is 18 months 🙂
Love seeing your girls playing together.
Ike is not quite a toddler yet, so he is still in a phase of explorative play as opposed to imaginative play. Although he is just fascinated with family at the moment- he loves to imitate each of us- our laughs, squeals, growls and singing!
He really loves emptying a wallet at the moment.
Did you see my wallet post earlier this year, Jackie? https://childhood101.com/2013/05/baby-play-ideas-our-favourite-un-toy-fun-for-older-bubs-toddlers/
I’m positive Miss K would love playing with the laundry basket too, (but she doesn’t get the chance because it’s always filled to the brim with clothes waiting to be folded and put away). Love all these play ideas here and must do something about that laundry basket play situation… xo P
LOL My clothes mountain is usually located on a couch we have in our living room!
Where are the cupcakes and cupcake stand from?
I am not sure, Carrie – they were a gift.
Gah! She’s so adorable! Those puppies look so much fun, my daughter would adore them.
Both my girl’s love the puppies 🙂
What a sweetie. My toddler is really into sensory play and pretend cooking at the moment… or, anything that his big sister wants to do! 🙂
I hear you – I am convinced that a good part of the reason AJ loves playing imaginatively is because it is what her big sister is always doing 🙂
Such simple and easy ideas for play. My little girl loves to play with her little kitchen. She’s just started saying ‘cupatea’ (cup of tea?) and giving us drinks that she has made. It’s lovely to watch.
Oooh, I love the cupatea stage! How fun would it be for our toddlers to hang out 🙂
Definitely the washing basket – it has been everything from a boat to a car to a train and even a wombat’s cave!
I don’t encourage it, but from time to time I’ve found my toddler strutting around in the highest of my heels with no problems, because her little feet fit into the area where the ball of my foot would be!
My daughter loves too…