A basket of crocheted animals is a small stage. A child can turn it into a shop, a park or a bus in a minute. You only need to start the game. These ideas use things you already have at home.
The animal shop
Spread a cloth on a table. Put the animals on it in rows. Your child is the shopkeeper and you are the buyer. Ask for a zebra, a lion or an elephant. Let the shopkeeper find it and hand it over.
Use pretend coins, or none at all. After a few turns, swap places. You run the shop and your child does the buying.
Ranger and visitors
One person is the park ranger. The others are visitors in a car made from two chairs. Hide an animal behind a cushion. The ranger tells the visitors where to look: left of the sofa, near the door.
A lion under a blanket makes a good first hide. A tall giraffe is easy to find, so give it to the youngest player.
The matatu ride
Line up chairs in rows to make a matatu. The animals are the passengers. One child drives and another is the conductor. Call out stops you know, like the market or the school gate.
Each passenger says where it is going. The elephant needs a whole seat to itself.
Animal school
Sit the animals in a row facing a wall. Your child is the teacher. The rabbit forgot its homework. The cat is late again. Let your child write the story, and answer in the voice of the animal.
An animal party
Plan a tea party on the floor. Each animal has a favourite food. A giraffe likes leaves and a hippo likes grass, so the menu is easy. Serve it on paper plates and let your child pour the pretend tea.
Taking turns
Two children and one lion can cause trouble. Try a song. Sing one short verse. The first child holds the lion until the verse ends, then passes it on.
If a turn ends in tears, put the lion in the basket and try again later. Not every game works every day.
What to say while you play
Ask, what happens next? Then wait. The waiting is the hard part for adults. Your child will often have an answer if you give it a few seconds.
You do not need a plot. Describe what you see: the zebra is by the door, the lion is asleep. Short lines are enough.
Keep it simple
Start with two animals and one idea. Stop while the game is still fun. Play where you can see your child. On a plain animal there is zero plastic and nothing detachable, and you can clean it easily. Our care guide has the steps, and an adult should be close by during play.
A set of four to six animals is plenty for all these games. Choose different sizes, so the shop has big and small stock. If the set is a present, the Gift Finder can help you choose.
Voices cost nothing. Give the lion a deep one and see who laughs first.
