🧸 Play & Pretend
Toy Store Talk
Play shopkeeper and customer and ask for three items by name.
10 min🟢 Early Communicator
Goal
Practice naming objects and asking for things.
🎨 Maya is here today
Maya is drawing along with you, tell her what colors you'd use.
💡 Why this matters
Pretending lets children rehearse real life safely, try new words out loud, and speak as somebody braver than they feel.
How to play
- 1Set out toys as the “store”.
- 2Your child asks for three items by name.
- 3Swap roles.
Example conversation
Child: Can I have the red car, please?
You: Here's your red car!
Extra questions
- What color is it?
- How many do you want?
- What else is on your list?
Skills practiced
- ✔ Pretend play
- ✔ Vocabulary
- ✔ Turn-taking
Materials needed
None — just you and your child.
❤️ Parent tip
Let your child lead, even when the story makes no sense.
Try it during
- 🧸 With stuffed animals
- 🧱 With blocks
- 🍳 With kitchen toys
- 📦 With cardboard boxes
- 👗 Dress-up clothes
- 🌳 Outside in the yard
Same activity, many moments — pick whichever fits your day.