Today I'm really honoured to have Kate from Picklebums one of the first blogs that I followed joining us sharing 7 days of imaginative play ideas. Kate blogs about family life, with activities, crafts, recipes and parenting advice from Australia it's great to see the seasons change in contrast to our seasons.

Seven Days of Imaginative Play

We love imaginative play at our house. It is such a great way for kids to develop and practice so many skills, and it’s so much fun.

1. Getting Started With Imaginative Play -
If you are new to the world of imaginative play it can be a little hard to figure out how to get started, so I've shared my five best tips for getting started with imaginative play and making it work for you and your children.

2. Imaginative Play is good for Kids, and Their Parents! -
Imaginative play is great for kids, they learn so many things, but it's also good for parents too! Here are just some of the reasons why imaginative play is cool!

3. Create a Simple Play Scene - Frog Pond -
This simple imaginative play scene could be used with so many different accessories and characters. On this occasion it was a frog pond!

4. Sand tray play
This is one imaginative play scene that all my kids ask me to set up again and again... just simple sand and cars!

5. Puppet play -
We love puppets in our house! They can inspire so much creative and imaginative play. Over the years we've made a few sets of free printable puppets from frogs and ducks to leaves and monsters!

6. Bugs in a Box -
What if you have a great idea for some small world, imaginative, play but don't have anything to put it in? You could always use a cardboard box... here's how we did it.

7. Jungle Play Dough
Imaginative play doesn't have to be difficult. My twins were 7 when they collected everything needed to make a jungle play dough set for their brother's fourth birthday

Thanks so much for Kate for sharing the 7 days of Imaginative play for us. As a parent it's one of the parts of play that I found hardest when J and T were toddlers now that I can understand their imagination a little better as their language has improved it as become easier.

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Author

Cerys Parker

Cerys is a marine biologist, environmental educator, high school teacher and mum. Realising that life doesn't have to be put on hold and you don't just have to survive whilst the kids are young she shares ideas to inspire you to LIVE with the kids, with activities to do together, recipes to cook and enjoy and family travel to make memories to last a lifetime.