Pretend

DIY Gift: Detective Kit

I think I’ve mentioned before that my girls are into detectives, spies, secret codes, and all things mysterious (not scary!). They are reading Nancy Drew Notebooks, Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, Encyclopedia Brown, Jigsaw Jones, and Cam Jansen book series like crazy! I’ve been gathering ideas for detective/spy kits for quite a while, so [...]

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Taking Dictation: Crafting Stories with Young Kids

I’m sharing a few ideas for capturing children’s creative storytelling at Simple Kids today. Here is a sneak peek: There is really nothing like the imagination of a young child. Long before they can write their own stories, children are ready and eager to tell their own stories. It is wonderfully empowering for a child [...]

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Magnetic Menu

Both of my girls love to play restaurant, which usually involves creating some sort of menu. Sometimes we draw menus, sometimes we cut and paste pictures from grocery ads and magazines. We also have a collection of kids’ menus from restaurants we’ve been to. I decided to give them another option for menu creating by [...]

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Creative Pretend Play Props and Ideas

Pretend play is an important part of a young child’s life. Trying out different roles, replaying experiences, practicing social skills, and trying out new vocabulary are just some of the many benefits of imaginative play. Creating an environment that supports pretend play is easy – kids just need some space to play, unstructured blocks of [...]

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Horse Catalog

One day (last summer), the girls were busy playing and thinking-up imaginary horses. Their herds of horses were getting quite large, apparently, and they were having trouble remembering all their names. They both brought out little notebooks, and I acted as secretary as they dictated their horses’ names to me. This was a good start, [...]

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The Wizard Costume

After compiling a list of twenty or so costume ideas, Natalie settled on being a wizard for Halloween. We haven’t entered the world of Harry Potter yet, so her idea of a wizard is pretty traditional. She knew she wanted a big cloak with moons and stars all over, a tall pointy hat, and a [...]

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Pretend Play: Birthday Party

We have put-together many pretend play kits over the past few years, but this one is still a favorite! We are always adding new odds and ends – we have some very spoiled dolls in our house who have birthday parties constantly! {Originally published March 2008} Even though my girls’ birthdays are months away, they [...]

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Creating Zoo Maps

This is one of our all-time favorite activities! Since we made our zoo maps, there have been maps of mermaid lagoons, five-story malls, fairy lands, and much more. If you are stuck inside on a cold day, this is a great activity to work on with your kids. Have fun! {Originally posted June 2008} Some [...]

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Playsilk Doll Slings

Playsilks make really great doll slings… or Curious George slings! Happy Playing!

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The Fairy Olympics

Okay, I’ve got one more round of Olympic fun for you! Since my girls are really into all things tiny (i.e. fairies), we decided to do some itty bitty Olympic events. Here’s what we did: Wind & Clouds – The weather fairies have to blow the clouds away, so the sun can shine on Fairy [...]

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