Fun for Little Ones

Pre-School Toys and Pretend Play

Make-believe is crucial to children’s mental and emotional development, and pretend play toys are a great way to keep them happily playing for hours. There are many toys available that encourage children to develop their imaginations through make-believe.

A pretend play kitchen is a great option for encouraging make-believe play. Preparing and serving food is a game that children of both genders can relate to and enjoy. There are many types of play kitchens available, from basic wooden kitchens to complex plastic set-ups. Encourage them further by adding a kid’s kitchen set, with different kinds of utensils and dishes they can use to make their pretend cooking even more realistic.

Tool benches and pretend play tool setsare a great place to start children pretending to build and fix things. They provide an ideal transition between toddler toys and school-aged play, offering a range of pretend scenarios and a chance to practise fine motor skills like using a hammer and nails.

Play shops and cash registers have dual appeal: the enjoyment of the toy itself, as well as interaction with others as pretend buyers and shopkeepers. Many toy shops have cash registers with buttons to press, with accompanying noises and cash drawers that open. Pretending to run a shop is a great way to teach kids about money, interacting with others and even basic mathematics.

Dolls and teddys are often the first toys that children interact with through pretend play. As they grow older, the types of figurines can change as well. From pushing a doll in a pretend stroller, to creating an elaborate zoo with plastic animal figurines, these toys are appropriate for a wide range of interests and age groups.