Tired of playing pretend?

Save this list for later - it'll come in handy when you're totally over toys and ready for another activity.

Playing with toys can be tiring for adults. It's been a long time since we played pretend and often our kids want us to play in very specific ways.

If you're desperate to stop having to play the baby sister in dolly's tea party - try one of these instead:

1️⃣ Put some tunes on and suggest a dance party 💃 you can introduce them to your guilty pleasures, pull some shapes or even do aerobics.
2️⃣ Bake. Anything. The internet is swimming in 3 ingredient easy makes to get them involved in food prep and have something for their lunch box.
3️⃣ Make a fort. Get out your sheets and blankets and clothes horses or whatever you have.
4️⃣ Housework. It can be super fun when you involve them and go slow. Give them a spray bottle or other things they don't typically get to touch. Pretend you really need them.
5️⃣ Go for a walk and gather nature to make a picture with. Think leaves, sticks and flowers. Or - let them fine and take photos of things with your phone.
6️⃣ Garden. Pull up weeds, plant herbs, smother peanut butter and seeds on pine cones to make bird feeders.
7️⃣ Have a picnic. Prep food for it together and then sit on a mat, whether that be indoors, in a fort or outside somewhere. A change of scenery works magic.
8️⃣ Use sofa cushions, chairs, hard back books and mattresses to make an obstacle course across the house.
9️⃣ Get fixing. Use real tools to tighten screws or get out tape to fix damaged books.
🔟 Get out paper, old magazines, scissors and a glue stick to make a collage. Make sure you get involved too!

👌Remember - the language learning comes from you joining in, using new vocabulary (related to the task) and engaging your child in turn taking interactions. You're the BEST person to support your child's language to develop, you just need to know the tricks. Check out my language development strategies in the Zazi hub at zazi.co.nz, or in my language highlight.

🤷🏼‍♀️What have I forgotten?? Comment your fave go-to activity to do with your child.

Watch the full reel here