The top 5

February 28, 2008 | Print

Easy Indoor Games

We let our kids play on their own and design their games as much as possible. When we join the creative process, here are pretend games we love to play:

1. Sleepover. We get out sleeping bags and/or blankets, and sometimes tent the furniture with a big sheet (or use an actual tent). A few stuffed animals join us for a cozy sleepover.

We sing songs, tell stories, read books, roast imaginary marshmallows.

2. Forts. Forts are versatile in design–walls and roof, just walls or roof. Amelia and Wyatt crawl under the coffee table and call it their fort.

Usually we drape blankets over the couch and coffee table. When Kelly’s kids started moving large pieces of furniture for their forts, she found these Community Playthings Hollow Blocks (expensive, but for preschoolers and up last forever) that give them the same building sensation.

Eating snack in the fort is a big hit.

3. Restaurant. Restaurant can have lots of cooking equipment or be pretend. We bring out some plates, baking gear, aprons, cash register, pretend money, play food, really whatever the kids think up, then write menus.

One child may run the restaurant, or several children have different jobs–waiter, cashier, chef, pizza dough maker, etc.

4. Build houses/towns/skate park/fairy palace. The idea is to create an imaginary village relevant to our children’s particular interests. Boxes, tape, scissors for building; crayons, markers or paints for decorating.

We cut windows, doors, skylights–and design gardens, bridges and/or skateboard ramps. Toy cars, stuffed animals and other favorites may live in the box creations. When the kids tire of playing, we move the cardboard outside where they paint it for weeks.

5. Bus driver. The bus can be kitchen chairs lined up in a row, or seats outlined on the floor with blocks or our imagination. Stuffed animal friends like to come for a ride, and we take turns deciding where we go and who’s driving.

We also pretend play at our bus stop locations–shop at the market, snack at the coffee shop, visit friends at school or climb at the park.

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