Pretend play becomes more complex and involved when your child reaches school age. Encourage your kids' pretend play with these quick ideas.
Play School
Stock up on extra school supplies for the house during back-to-school sales, and keep them in a large plastic box. Some ideas for supplies are writing and art paper, pencils, markers, scissors, glue, flash cards, stickers, and a folder for grades. Pick up old textbooks at flea markets, and at the school when new books are planned for next year. A kitchen timer makes a good school bell, and a dry-erase board is a necessity for the teacher. Find printable Learning Center and School Room Signs and certificates for the students to jump start your child's imagination.
Play Secret Agent
Usually the next step from playing superhero in preschool is playing spy or secret agent. You can find lots of cool technology kits that your superspy will need for his work. Wild Planet Toys makes the cutest spy gear, including a watchband lie detector, night vision goggles, listening devices, and lots more. Spy play is more fun when you have a mission. How about a special message, written with disappearing ink, hidden from your child as the goal? Drop a few clues for him to discover with his listening device. When he finds the special message, hold it over the light to reveal a fun message, maybe something silly like "Do you want to go to the movie tonight?"
Play Dress-Up
If you haven't saved your child's baby clothes, you can pick some up cheaply at thrift stores. When you buy stuffed animals, buy big ones that your child can dress-up in her old baby clothes. Trust me, you will enjoy this as much as your child. We dress-up our stuffed menagerie in Easter attire each year with my daughter's precious baby dresses. Baby's swimsuits and jogging suits are fun too.
Old dance costumes are the best dress-up for girls. You have a good chance of finding a treasure trove of dance costumes at the thrift store, or in an older friend's closet. Dance shoes are pretty and fun when costuming also. Buy good quality Halloween costumes that can be adapted to various dress-up options. Leotards, animal ears, and tutus make good dress-up box basics. Complete the wardrobe with old hats, but expect that your daughter will beg to play in your good heels!
Play Camping
If you need to come up with a quick plan for kid fun, pitch a tent. Indoors, outdoors, with a blanket and chairs, or one of today's quick-open tents, kids love play camping. Remember that cozy feeling of being in a close, dark tent telling secrets with a friend. Share the fun by reading a book, or having a snack in the tent with your child.
Serious camping play with friends gives kids a taste of independence. They will love it if you have on hand a few safe camping necessities such as flashlights, sleeping bags, a radio, and maybe a deck of playing cards. Another of our favorite summer night treats is sleeping on the trampoline. Try it; it's a great way to watch the falling stars in August.
Home Theater for Kids
No, not the surround-sound kind, though adding video and microphones is easily accomplished these days. If you have a large group of kids, let them put on a show. This could take all day, and you can stay away while they prepare it. They'll want to keep it private until the performance, when you are the intended audience.
Kids do their best skits when they make up something themselves. I like the advice of Boy Scout Patrol Leader, Patrick McGinnis at BoyScouts.com, "Many of my kids' skits have come from t.v. shows, movies, and videos they have seen. Ask them about what was funny in the last few weeks for them, then see if they could act it out. They come up with great ideas themselves. The biggest problem that adults have is that they want to construct everything. Listen to what they are interested in and make a skit out of that. It is really funny when they imitate movies."
