Indoor Camping

• Throw a large piece of fabric, such as a bed sheet, over a table so that it represents a tent. Put a teddy in the tent and cover it with a small blanket. Pretend that teddy is going to sleep. Whisper to your child: "Shh...Teddy is going to sleep." Let your child "wake up" teddy by retrieving it from underneath the tent. Say, with enthusiasm, "Good morning Teddy!" Let your child go under the table, and as soon as he is out of view, pretend that he is asleep. Say, for example, "Shh... Tom is going to sleep." When he reappears, laugh out loud, clap your hands in applause and say, "Good morning Tom!"
  
  

Animal Calls

• Let your child play with a farm animals set or a set of zoo animals. Pretend that your toddler's toy telephone is receiving a call. Make a calling noise such as, "Ring! Ring!" or "Brrp! Brrp!" Then say, "I wonder who's calling?" Pick up the receiver and say, "Who's calling?" Point to one of the toy animals, such as the sheep, and say, "Oh, it's sheep! Hello sheep. Baa! Baa!" Play the game several times with different animals. Then pass the receiver to your child after you have said "Hello" to the animal. Encourage your child to imitate the animal sounds with you.
  
  

Picnic Time

• Set up a pretend picnic for some soft toys during one of your child's regular meal times to encourage social skills such as sharing and polite manners. Sit the toys around the table near to your child. Put bibs on the toys and place an empty plastic plate in front of each toy. Place some pretend food, such as pretend cakes onto a plate on the table. Use different voices to make the toys "speak" to your child. For example, the teddy might ask, "Please can I have a cake? They look delicious!" Pass the plate of pretend cakes to your child and let him choose a cake to give to the teddy. Say, "Thank you!" in your "teddy" voice. Help the teddy use its paws to hold the cake and "eat" it.
  
  

Water Play

• Water play is most suitable outside and in warm weather. For safety reasons, provide constant supervision when your toddler is playing near or in water. Let your toddler dip a small clean paintbrush into a bowl of water and "paint" the ground, garden furniture and walls. Let her pretend to bath a baby by washing a doll in a bowl that is filled with water and bubble bath. Place some colorful plastic fish into a paddling pool that you have filled with water. Give your toddler a small toy fishing net and let him play in the pool and pretend that he is catching real fish.