Welcome to our Play Ideas series as part of #100daysofplay with Chad Valley. I’ll be starting with over 20 imaginary and role play ideas for kids.
Role play and imaginary play (also sometimes called dramatic play) is often a favourite with young children, starting from basic imitation at a young age; pretending to talk on the phone, or pretending to cook in a play kitchen.
Although it may start of very simple, role play is one of the more advanced forms of play. It is enjoyed by young children once they have moved through the more basic stages of exploratory play. It allows them to develop social skills, negotiating roles with one another and to process and explore real life contexts, as well imaginary. Role play allows children to experience different perspectives – they can play the “cop” or the robber, they can play the super hero or the one in need of rescue. They can play the role of mummy while a friend pretends to be baby, and this fluid play allows them to develop empathy by imagining themselves in each different role.
This is our post box from Chad Valley which we received as part of our 100 days of play hamper. It comes with a full set of envelopes and stamp stickers. The boys loved creating messages and posting them in the box! We have bought other Chad Valley role play toys in the past, and I always like to have a few role play props available in the playroom to help give the children inspiration for their imaginary play. At other times they turn household objects into props and let their imagination do the rest!
Role Play & Imaginary Play Ideas
Here are some simple themes that can be used for imaginary and role play and expanded upon as your child sees fit!
- School
- Vet
- Doctor
- Post Office
- Shop Keepers
- Pirates
- Outer Space
- Farmers
- Superheroes
- Jungle
- Desert
- Families
- Circus
- Knights
- Horse and stables
- Kings, Queens, Prince and Princesses
- Play Kitchen
- Police / Cops and Robbers
- Building site
- Camping
- Mountain Explorers
- Petrol Station
- Bus Drivers / Train Drivers
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Image source: Group of kids in various uniforms Shutterstock (modified)
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
Hi there, Anna – some great ideas as always here – thanks so much for linking up with our pretend play parenting tips linky on kiddycharts.com, always lovely to see you!
I am going to draw up a list like the one above and get my grandchildren involved in choosing what to play when they visit me. They are aged from 22 months to 11 years so all could join in.
Children learn through playing. So the campaign #100daysofplay seems a wonderful idea / project. Thanks for the information, interesting and informative to read how Imaginary and Role Play benefits our children etc.
Lots of fab ideas here – thanks
My daughter’s only just getting into role play. I’m really excited about it and can’t wait to try some of your ideas.