Are you like me suffering from Pinterest overload with all the amazing ideas that so many creative people come up with. Yes seriously I sit there and look at the boards and think WOW and then …. NO I could never do that. With each moment like that it’s made me realise that sometimes it’s going back to basics that is the way to go for me. So I’m going to be sharing 26 themes for back to basics play over the next 26 Saturday’s – not complicated ideas just simple back to basic play for children (toddlers and preschoolers but the ideas can be easily adapted for older children as well).
So we kicking it off with A is for Animals – we have farm animals, zoo animals, pets, dinosaurs, sea animals and all sorts of animals basically some more realistic than others but they all form part of our Animal Box. I know this is a fail safe Rainy Day box to bring out and J and T will have lots of fun with it.
Blanket Sea
We have a dark throw for the lounge and I will put the throw on the floor to make a sea, river, pond and then we get out some of our animals (usually water animals but not always!) and have fun swimming fish in the sea, making crab noises and J and T will play with their animals on the sea doing what ever they think animals do (I really don’t have a clue as although J talks while he plays it’s all very rushed and hurried when he’s in the play mode). You don’t have to use small sea creatures like we do. I love this one from A Mom with a Lesson Plan using soft toys from one of my favourite disney films.
Taking them outside
J taking our toy dinosaurs outside and his stegasaurus having some leaves from one of our plants
Our animals love venturing out in the garden – it’s amazing what a lot of grass, stones and plants can become – dinsoaurs love to eat our flowers in the plant pots. The giraffee likes to stretch it’s neck and get the leaves higher up. I will be forever finding animals hidden in the bushes though I think.
Playing Farms
J playing farms with a very quickly drawn farm mat
We visit the farm – often well alot and one of the things that we play is farms with our animals. I have drawn a very rough map on a piece of paper and J has added animals to the fields that I have drawn on it. I wish I had more time, inclination and would love to create him a more permenant farm map of felt or fabric with different colours but that is a long way in the future at the moment.
Vets
J role play being a vet – his dinosaur has been bandaged, had it’s medicine and having a cuddle to make him better again.
We’ve just started doing this and it’s only with our soft toys (yes even the dinosaur has visited the vets), we had some first aid kit free on a children’s magazine which I put in an old case, added some fabric bandages and we were ready to play. This started after our dog had an accident and limped for a day so had to be taken to the vets to be checked over – after explaining that it was like the doctors playing vets has become quite popular.
What other simple ideas do you have for Animal toy play?
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I agree that back to the basics is best! That floor mat is great. The best part with having something quick and easy to make is that it can change with his interest. Awesome post (and thanks for the link.)
Jill @ A Mom With A Lesson Plan recently posted..digging through the archives… Beach and Ocean love
We’ve had the mat out as a zoo today – just a few different animals drawn on it and a different set of animals from our collection and we have a different play experience
I love this. Children enjoy simple pleasures – mostly time spent with a parent. He looks like a very happy child engaged in interesting learning activities using low-cost objects. I love the Readathon too and this goes well with Week 1′s theme.
Susan Case recently posted..PBS Readathon 2012: Week 1 Books & Activities
Thank you
we loved the animal theme as well
You can’t go wrong with animals. We played dinosaur train when J had each dinosaur taking turns to ride on the train. Also don’t forget the bug and snail hunts in the garden. Z loves going on crocodile hunts, we do this with an imaginary crocodile, but you could place other animals in the bushes and plant pots, use cardboard tube binoculars and go hunting for them.
Ohhh the dinosaur train was fun – and I don’t think it was just Z that hunted for imaginary crocodiles I remember his daddy and myyself hunting for them as well
Cerys this could not have come at a better time. Goblin and I had a few horrid moments today winding each other up the wrong way. I was searching the interwebs for something I could do with him tomorrow to reconnect but didn’t have the energy to do anything complicated. These ideas are perfect and he loves animals. I promised him a trip to the zoo tomorrow too.
Thanks you
The Monko recently posted..Hyde Hall – Nanny’s Birthday
I really hope you enjoyed going back to basics – we have another post each Saturday with more basic play ideas that just help you connect
– hope you enjoyed the zoo as well (we’ve been today:))
lovely idea Cerys!!
Angelique recently posted..Laboratorio Inglese ‘The Magic Of Play’ per bimbi 1 a 6 anni – Casa Sul Pozzo, Lecco
Grazie
Fabulous idea for a series Cerys! I look forward to seeing the rest
crystal@growingajeweledrose recently posted..30+ Mud Activities to Celebrate International Mud Day
Thank you
Check back each Saturday for a new post
We love pretend play with our animals. There’s so many ways to play with them. Love the new series idea.
Trisha @ Inspiration Laboratories recently posted..The Sunday Showcase Featuring Summer Science Fun
Thank you – I think animals are one of our favourites at the moment – but I don’t know whether that is my influence as well
We did A for animals in the garden – commonly known as insects – and ants :O)
pinkoddy recently posted..A is the Start
Ohhh those are my favourite A’s
at least in the UK the ants don’t really bite
You’re soo right about Pinterest overload – I have a bajillion ideas pinned, still find myself wondering what to do and then getting overwhelmed when I look at all the brilliant ideas. Like why didn’t I think to use an old towel rail to hold my saucepan lids? What kind of a mom am I?!!
Thanks for sharing with The Sunday Showcase – hope to see you there this week!
Charlotte
makedoandfriend.com
Charlotte recently posted..MemeTales Readathon – StickFiggy Makes a Friend #readforgood
LOL – a towel rail to hold saucepan lids?!?!