Imaginative Play Toys List

THE BEST PLAY

THE BEST PLAY IDEAS

‘Imagination is more important than knowledge’ Albert Einstein

Where:

Make sure to have movable play with blankets and baskets, for children to play close to adults. Play is in the ‘heart’ if the home, with open shelving and baskets. 

Pack away games:

Pack away games: horses and handlers (baskets of toys carried on the horses, child crawling, back); Forklifts, is a game to load the baskets up and place on the child’s arms. 

Play beat the sand timer, to see if everyone packing away can finis before the sand runs out. Remember to ‘care’ for the toys when packing them away: ‘The train goes to live at the station’; ‘Snuggle the doll in bed for a rest’;’Make sure the block does not get lost!’.

Sing a pack away song: ‘I met a little dusty gnome. He said it’s time to clean our home. Round, round, round. Swish, swish, swish, clean our home.’ Hide little gnomes to find when everything has been packed away. 

Work as Play for the Child:

Invite children to be a ‘chef’; ‘road sweeper’; ‘post person’; laundry person’ and so on…What chores can you playfully involve your child in everyday: washing up, sweeping, stirring, washing sorting! Make sure you provide a step, apron, miniature brown, basket, clothes line… Your work is a child’s play, it will connect you together and lots of language and simple every skills and concepts are passed on. And life skills through play!

Recommended Toy and Play Scenes and Roles: 

The following is a comprehensive list of toys, many of these toys are recycled and from charity shops, that are recommended for the young child to encourage imaginative play skills. A positive foundation for life.

A play kitchen: Small baskets, old small pots, wooden bowls, shells, gumnuts, pine kernels, brown bags, cut up newspaper, old table cloths and dolleys, spoons, all small old kitchen equipment, old egg boxes, little bottles, an apron. A wooden dresser, cooker and sink (Play ovens can be recycled out of old bedside cabinets; place cork mats for the stove top and wooden door knobs on a wooden back for the dials!) An old washing up bowl can be the sink. Or cardboard boxes. To cook for others is ‘caring’ play!

A tea set: Little ‘’espresso’’ cups can be found in opportunity shops and a little metal teapot. Let’s have a tea party! 

Dress up: Wooden necklaces, bags, old shawls, dress up, fairy wings, old shoes, sunglasses, old sunhats, coats, vests, briefcase, hats and caps (especially t be a train driver!). To imagine all the roles to end!

Dolly play: Simple dolls, doll’s clothes, pretend nappies (cut old toweling squares), cot, blanket, pram, dolly highchair, empty cream containers and changing mat. Wonderful play if there is a new baby too. 

Doctor’s kit: An old bag filled with clothes pegs for injections, bandages, empty cream container, and stethoscope. And create play spaces for vets and animal hospitals too!

Farmyard: Wooden animals, farm and fences, coloured play cloths for grass, ponds and fields (fences can be made with old gum tree blocks). Some farm trucks and wooden tractors are great too!

Dolls house and furniture: These can often be found in secondhand shops. Simple dolls can be made, see the craft books in the resource section.

Toys with wheels that move! A wooden trolley, big wheeled lorry, wooden cars, trucks, train set. Pull along toys, a hobby horse. Small cars and a car mat.

Simple surprises: A music turner, jack in a box, simple musical instruments.

Small table and chairs: To make a tea party and to turn upside down to become a boat of course!

Large play: Play stands to create indoor cubbies and shops for big play. Use cushions and chairs to make tractors, and buses, trains etc Planks from the hardware store to balance on and as shop counters and the station platform!

Cardboard box creations: including castles, dolls houses, boats and train.

House hold equipment: Old computers keyboards, phones, old headphones, briefcases, files and pads, weighing scales and bags – perfect for post offices and shops. 

Make a cubby: Throw over cotton bed spreads for making cubbies under the dining room table – add some cushions and a snack – a little child’s haven. Make a cubby with chairs in a circle and sheets. Even outside with a table, washing line or bamboo poles. Why not out the tent up on the lawn (or even inside!)

To help with chores: A little washing line, washing basket, clothes pegs, ironing board and iron, broom, dustpan and brush.

Bath time play: Wooden boats, little pots/pans, old containers, seas shells and spoons, funnels and sieves, dolly’s clothes and a teddy to wash.

Outside play: Sandpit with old baking equipment to bake away (pattie tins, sieves, pots and pans!). Planks of wood and tree stumps to balance on; a little garden to plant magic seeds. A  little bike or trike, swings, bamboo garden poles tied together to make a teepee (cover with a big blanket or throw over). Big chalk! Camping: If you camp, children love the tent put up inside to sleep in or outside on a sunny day! Fairy gardens(Use nature!). Old paint brushes and water, to paint the house!

Real life roles to play

Post person or post offices – save old envelopes (and an old bag/satchel) and cut slits in boxes for pretend letter boxes. Place inside or outside to deliver on a bike! Post offices – envelopes, stamps, old keyboard, pads and pens are fun and exciting;

Shops – set up a shop with any collections from around the house: crystals tins and packages from the cupboards, flowers. Buy and sell with shells for coins! An old key pad as a till! 

Tram ride – use your sofa and pillows, old tickets and a hat (teddies and dolls to go for a ride!)

Café – all old kitchen equipment, an apron and pen and pad! Brown bags to put in food! lea sandwiches!

Fish and chip shops – newspaper to wrap up shells and gum nuts, and twigs for chips! A pen and pad to take the orders. A basket as a fryer!;

Offices – keep old office phones, keyboards, recycled pads of paper, stamps, hole-punches;

Pilots – old headphones/hat and a make furniture into  plane;

Train drivers – carriage chairs and boxes and a washing basket funnel. Do you have your ticket to get on board?

Work people – fixing things, tool box with old little tools and a belt. And make a ‘stop’ and ‘go’ sign for a road worker!

Doctors and vets – see the doctor’s bag above make sure you get some doll patients and soft toys!

Many of these items above can be found around your home and in charity shops. Remember that wooden toys are simple for imagination an good for the environment after use.  There are endless opportunities for play, everyday in simple ways… And to this list!

For Play ideas see Lou’s book ‘Happy Child, Happy Home: Conscious Parenting and Creative Discipline’ https://www.happychildhappyhome.com/books