30 Creative Pretend Play Ideas for Toddlers and Kids
Pretend play gives kids the chance to act out real-world roles while building important developmental skills.
From planning a plushie party to setting up a grocery store in your living room, these prompts make imagination part of everyday learning.
Mix and match these prompts for endless playtime ideas!
Starting around toddlerhood, little ones love acting like mini adults during play! And while they may look cute cooking up plastic food platters or diagnosing their stuffies with the sniffles, their little brains are learning so much through pretend play! Creativity, social-emotional skills, executive function skills, communication—the list goes on!
Joining in on their pretend play scenarios is a fun way to encourage these skills while fitting quality time in with your kiddo. Here are some ideas to get their imagination flowing!
Tired of playing house for the 50th time this month or simply looking to add new ideas to your regular playtime routine? These 30 creative pretend play prompts are sure to win your kid’s approval!
1. Throw a birthday party for their favorite stuffed animal (like their lovey!)!
Role-playing as party planners with your kid creates endless fun! Your kid can come up with the party theme, the music playlist, menu, guest list, decorations, and goody bags. Then help them bring their dream party to life!
2. Be pirates and sail the Bedroom Seas in search of buried treasure!
Dress up in your best pirate gear, then have your kid draw their own treasure map while you hide toys or treats all over the house. Find a large cardboard box or laundry basket to be your ship and push your kid around to look for the treasure. They can put a paper red “X” over the treasure spots once they find each item!
3. Recreate scenes from your kid’s favorite movies or shows!
Kid can’t stop talking about their favorite show or movie they request at every single screen time? Act it out at home! Get creative with costumes and props—for example, fashion a bedsheet cape for your little superhero or gather ice chips for your little ice princess.
4. Direct and act out your own movie!
Is your kid destined for the stage? Let them create their own movie! They can be the director and lead actor while you film the shots (on a fake camera or real one!). Pull in stuffed animals or family members to play supporting roles, then lights, camera, action!
5. Build and demolish towers on a make-believe construction site!
Start by drawing up a “blueprint” for a block tower on blue construction paper. Bring your design to life with blocks and tools, then knock it down with toy trucks! Take your construction site to the sandbox for extra sensory fun!
6. Be a train conductor and pick up stuffed animal riders!
Gather small carboard boxes and let your kid decorate them however they like. Cut two small holes on opposite sides of each box, loop string through them, and tie to connect the “train cars”—leaving one loop of string hanging on the end for pulling. Your kiddo can make stops all over the house to pick up riders (stuffed animals you scatter about) and collect fake tickets!
7. Play pretend restaurant, but with a muddy twist!
Set up a mud kitchen (learn how to make one here!) in your backyard and create a menu of all your favorite foods. Gather “ingredients” around the yard, like grass, flowers, twigs, and rocks. Then, let your kid whip up a muddy 4-course dinner to serve you!
8. Set up a hair salon and give dolly a new ‘do!
Grab a comb and some hair accessories and sit your child’s favorite doll in a chair to be their customer. Talk about how the doll wants their hair, then let your kid style away! They can even pretend to wash their hair in the sink and blow dry for the full salon treatment!
9. Go in for a check-up at your kid’s pretend doctor’s office!
Give your kid a marker and clipboard with a check-up sheet attached (can be as simple as a piece of paper with the outline of a body so they can circle “boo-boos”). Lay on the couch and tell them what your symptoms are and where you are hurt. They can check your heartbeat, take your temperature, give you “medicine” or bandages, and hand you a sticker for being a good patient!
10. Put on a fashion show with your mini fashionista!
Let your kid raid your closet and their own to create the most fashionable outfits for you both to wear. Turn a long rug or taped pieces of paper into your runway and show off a new funky strut for each outfit you walk out with!
11. Run an at-home carnival!
Recreate simple carnival games, like ring toss, basketball, and find-the-ball-under-the-cup. Use a table for your ticket booth and print tickets to hand out to family members and friends. Your kid can run (or play) the games while you man the ticket booth! Bonus: give out different prizes at each game and pop some popcorn for a tasty carnival snack!
12. Tinker on toy cars as auto shop mechanics!
Bring toy cars into your little mechanic’s shop and tell them what issues they have (like flat tire, out of gas). Ask them what you should do to fix it, then help them tinker away with toy tools. You can also set up a bucket of soapy water and sponge for a mini car wash!
13. Serve up sweet scoops in a pretend ice cream parlor!
Make the ice cream by rolling big playdough balls in different colors for each flavor. Have fun coming up with toppings and mix-ins, like “caramel swirls” (long strips of brown playdough) and “chocolate chips” (tiny balls of black playdough). Your child can scoop them into bowls for their stuffed animal and human customers.
14. Act out new or familiar events to prepare your child for them!
Role-playing events that are new or tend to be difficult for your child (like starting a new school, having a first playdate with a new friend, or going to the dentist) can help them know what to expect and calm their fears. Make it a fun and positive experience to get them excited for it!
15. Be a teacher and star student!
Line up pillows for desks and give your child a chalkboard or whiteboard to teach on. Be a student alongside stuffed animal peers and raise your hand to ask questions about the lesson. Your kid can assign you a project that you turn in for them to grade and give out stickers for a job well done!
16. Recreate your favorite fast food drive-thru!
Get creative with making a drive-thru window—you can use a cardboard box, a playhouse window, or even open a low window on your home if the weather is nice. Tape up a menu with pictures of the food and take turns being the ordering customer and employee at the window. Serve up plastic foods in brown paper bags and exchange fake money for the full drive-thru experience!
17. Pretend you need a makeover for a fancy event!
Let your kid apply fake or real makeup (if you’re brave enough!) to your face, style your hair with accessories, and pick out an outfit to get you ready for your big night! Then switch roles!
18. Build a zoo and play zookeeper!
Set up pens for your child’s toy animals using blocks for the fences, pillows for caves, and bowls for their food. Your little zookeeper can “feed” the animals, have them do tricks, or give you a tour of the whole zoo. Ask them questions, like what the animals’ names are and what they like to eat. This is a fun way to help them learn about different animals!
19. Play superheroes and villains!
Come up with names, special powers, and costumes for your hero and villain roles. Then, get the action going with classic bad-guy scenarios like a bank robbery or town takeover—or create your own! Take turns being the villain and hero to keep playtime going.
20. Be a toy shop owner and customer looking for the perfect gift!
Round up all your kid’s favorite toys and put them on display around the living room. Give your kid a toy cash register and fake money, then come to their shop to buy toys from them! Try asking them to help you find toys with specific descriptions (kind of like I-spy!) or ask them what they would recommend for events like a birthday party or Father’s Day. They can also wrap up your purchases using wrapping paper and tape!
21. Go to a make-believe farm to collect berries for a delicious fruit pie!
Scatter red and blue pom pom “berries” in the grass or carpet, grab some baskets, then go berry picking! To make the “pie”: have your kid roll out two large, thin playdough circles for the crust. Cut long rectangle strips out of one circle for the top crust. Place the full crust circle in the bottom of a tin pie dish, put the “berries” in, then lay the strips over them. Put the pie in a pretend oven and serve it to stuffed animal friends!
22. Pretend your kid is a wallpaper designer!
This is lots of fun for kids who like to draw! Have your little one create their best wallpaper patterns with paper and markers, then put them on display. Come to their wallpaper shop and let them help you pick out the perfect designs for each room in the house!
23. Run a fulfillment and shipping center and make deliveries!
Go “online shopping” by drawing items that each family member or stuffed animal wants to buy (make these things items you have like a wooden spoon, toy phone, book, etc.). Give the order slip to your child and have them find and pack the items using shoe boxes, wrapping paper, and tape. Then deliver the packages!
24. Pretend you are checking books out from your kid librarian!
Gather your kid’s favorite books and display them on a table or shelf. Ask them to find you specific books by describing the stories or saying the titles. Check out with your real library card and let your kid “scan” each book for you. Return the books “the next day” and help your child shelve them!
25. Set up a flower shop and be florists!
Pick flowers around the yard or print and cut out pictures of them. Design bouquets with your kid and display them in vases or cups. You can have family members or stuffed animals come to the shop to buy their favorite floral arrangements!
26. Pretend your kid is a mega pop star going on their big world tour!
Design a stage using play mats or flat cardboard taped together. Work with your child to come up with a set list and choreography and go through a concert practice run. Then invite the whole family to see the show! Use a flashlight to put them in the spotlight as they sing their favorite tunes and bust out their best moves!
27. Go pretend-camping in your house or backyard!
Pack backpacks with camping essentials (snacks, a pot to cook with, first aid kit, flashlight, blanket), then go backpacking around the house or backyard until you find a good spot to set up camp. Pitch your tent (it can be a real one or a fort made with blankets and chairs) and gather sticks to make a fake campfire. Lead camp activities like songs around the campfire, s’mores, and scary stories!
28. Act like a news anchor on TV!
Cut out a TV-screen-sized square in a big cardboard box. Have your kid go inside the “TV” and give a report on the weather, make up news stories about their favorite fictional characters, or talk about events happening in their real life. Film their newscast to show family and friends later!
29. Run a daycare for your baby dolls and stuffed animals!
This is a great way to teach your kid how to take care of others (like a baby sibling if they have one)! You can set up pillows and blankets to tuck the dolls and animals in at nap time, feed them with bottles, do diaper changes with real diapers, and read them books for story time!
30. Go to the grocery store in your living room!
Set up some boxes or tables to be your “aisles” and line up toy foods (or real foods from your pantry) on top. Let your kid push a toy cart around or carry a basket to pick out foods on their grocery list. As you check them out at the register, make small talk just like they do at the real store!
Keep the Pretend Play Going!
For endless role-playing fun, mix and match these pretend play prompts. You can be pirate toy shop owners or news anchors on the scene of a superhero and villain battle. Or make a mini make-believe town with a library, hair salon, and fast-food drive-thru. The sky is the limit when you’re playing with your imagination!
