Combining pretend play with sensory exploration is loads of fun. We love to add pretend props to mix up sensory activities. Today, the dried beans were “cooked” on the cardboard stove top and mini bean muffins were “baked” inside the oven. As children get older they can expand their play repertoire and you can help by adding […]
Here is a quick, simple recipe to make play sand. Grab some semolina flour from your pantry and mix in some cooking oil to make it a consistency of wet sand. That’s it! Stick your hands in and start building sand castles. Just use kitchen utensils to play with your sand and to build castles. Measuring cups […]
Looking for something to do? Suggest to the kids to make their own amusement park. My children invented the games above: twisty swing, sled carry and the roller rider. They created their own fake tickets to sell and gave the younger kids rides all afternoon. In addition, they opened up a snack bar with signature […]
Recent research from the University of California Berkeley indicated that children who were better at pretend play were better at thinking about different possibilities. By imagining the way things will work, children try to predict if what they are doing will work. Then when done pretending they can compare their results to real life experiences. […]
Need to entertain your toddler for a few minutes? Bring them on a toddler ride in the laundry basket. Stop and start the laundry basket slowly which will challenge the little ones balance skills and strengthen the trunk muscles. You can encourage language by waiting to start the toddler ride until the little one using […]
My children built a small outdoor landscape for their small toys to live in this past weekend. There was a natural nook in the tree stump to create a small shelter. After hunting for some furniture (bark and rocks) the tiny toy land was ready to play with. Most of the entertainment was creating the […]
If you want to challenge your your child’s visual perceptual skills, visual closures skills and encourage physical activity download this free printable game. The kids will love guessing what animal is hiding in the grass! You can download it for free at Growing Play.
Of all the things my children have enjoyed playing with through the years the dried bean container is in the top three most favorite “toys”. Toddlers especially like to pour, sort, scoop and touch all the beans. If you provide kitchen items the beans make a nice plinking noise as you pour them. You do […]
Print these two free fun pages to play pretend laundromat. This is a functional pretend play activity. A child can work on sorting and counting laundry while using their imagination to open up a “laundromat”. You can download the pages at GrowingPlay. This activity encourages: pretend play imagination literacy math skills writing skills functional skills […]
Running Bases is a great classic game that I played frequently as a child and my children play now. Here is how you play: Preparation: Head outdoors and find two trees at least 40 feet apart. If trees are not available, put out two bases or cones. Grab a ball to toss, something that won’t […]