Some parents think they lack in creativity. It has been a long time since they were kids....
Outside Play Activities:
1. Sand Play
-Build A Town
-Houses, roads, shops, etc.
-Use figures to act out community pretend scenarios (going to work, grocery stories, policeman catching speeding cars, fireman putting out fires, etc.)
-Earthquake, floods, rain, etc.
-Build a Volcano
-Lava Erupts
-Town with people trying to escape
-Build a wall to protect the town from lava
-Use water to put the lava out
-Etc.
-Build a Mountain
-Animals living on the mountain
-Cave hideout
-Hidden treasure
-People camping on the mountain
-Etc.
-Build a Castle
-Build towers, dungeon/jail, etc.
-Castle play (see indoor play examples)
-Build a tunnel/roads
-Car play (see indoor play examples)
-Build snowman/pretend snow
-Make snow cones
-Play with dump truck/construction toys
-Make pies/cake/food
-Pour and stir
-Bake pies/cakes/cookies
-Birthday parties with cake
-Bake sale
-Share with other children
-Treasure hunt in the sand
-Follow a treasure map to find treasure
-Pirate play (see indoor play examples)
-Steal the treasure
-Soldier/action figure play
-Build a fort
-Fight scenario
-Take prisoners/put in jail
-Taking hurt soldier to the hospital
2. Tricycles/Bikes/Cars
-Gas Station/mechanic
-Fill up gas tank
-Wash windows
-Fill up tires
-Fix cars/pretend tools
-Collect money
-Policeman scenario
-Catching speeders/giving out tickets
-Stoplights
-Driving the siren
-Catching bad guys/putting them in jail
-Fireman scenario (see indoor play example)
-Drive in movie
-Park and buy tickets
-Buy popcorn, candy, and sodas
-Watch movie
-Car crash scenario
-Ambulance comes to take injured to hospital
-Tow truck/mechanic scenario
-Mailman scenario
-Making letters/mail
-Delivering mail to people/mailbox, etc.
-Races
3. Water Play
-Pouring cups and funnels
-Making juice/soda/pop
-Marine animal play
-Sea World scenario
-Being chased by sharks
-Little Mermaid scenario
-Boat Play
-Boat races
-Pirate ship scenario
-Divers going underwater
-Squirt guns, water, water balloons
-Water balloon toss/relay race
-Squiring targets
-Police, cowboy-shooting scenario
-Squirting colored water onto paper/sidewalk
-Swimming pool scenario
-Using a diving board
-Floating on a raft
-Making big splashes
-Marco Polo game
-Fishing scenario
-Using a fishing pole
-Catching a fish
-Running from shark/whale/etc.
4. Ball Play
-Sports
-T-ball/baseball
-Soccer
-Football
-Kickball
-Handball
-Catch/throw
-Basketball
-Four Square
-Dodge ball
5. Playground equipment
-Slide
-Children form a train going down
-Pretend to be on a waterslide
-Staying away from crocodile/monster at the bottom
-Swings
-Race to be the highest
-Turn taking pushing a friend
-Monkey Bars
-Pretend to be on an island, water all around
-Pretend to be in a tree house
-Pretend to be monkeys
-See Saw
-Pretend to be on a boat
6. Organized Game Play
-Playground activities
-Duck Duck Goose
-Simon Says
-Tag (freeze, TV)
-Red Light, Green Light
-Hide and Seek
-Ring Around the Rosy
-Red Rover
-Leap Frog
-Follow the Leader
-Relay Race
-Jump Rope
-Hopscotch
-Sidewalk Chalk
-Mother May I
-Ball Activities
-Catch/throw
-Two Square
-Sports
-T-Ball
-Soccer
-Football
-Kickball
-Basketball
-Tetherball
-Wall Ball/Hand Ball
-Dodge ball
Inside Play Activities
1. Independent Play
-Puzzles
-Shape sorter
-Mr. Potato Head
-Ball/hammer set
-Fine Motor tasks
-Lacing beads/cards
-Pegboard
-Stacking rings
-Coloring/Drawing
-Color forms
2. Domestic Pretend Play
-Household Chores
-Making dinner/eating at the table
-Baking cake/cookies in oven
-Setting the table
-Washing the dishes
-Cleaning/vacuuming
-Taking a bath
-Going to bed
-Watching TV
-Family role play
-Mommy, daddy, children dress up
-Putting on makeup
-Going to work
-Driving a car
-Taking care of baby (feeding, dressing, rocking, putting to sleep)
-Taking care of pets (feeding, bathing)
3. Community Outings
-Grocery Store
-Setting up food items
-Making shopping list
-Putting food into shopping cart
-Using coupons
-Taking food to cashier/using cash register
-Paying for food
-Putting food into bags to take home
-Gas Station
-Driving to gas station
-Putting gas in a car
-Washing windows
-Changing tire/making repairs
-Paying cashier
-Restaurant/McDonalds
-Making a menu
-Setting up table
-Ordering food
-Cooking food
-Serving pretend drinks and food
-Eating dessert
-Paying the bill
-Going to drive through window
-Bank
-Getting money from the bank
-ATM
-Movie Theatre
-Buying tickets
-Buying popcorn/soda
-Watching movie
-Setting up chairs/theatre
-Amusement Park
-Going on rides
-Buying food
-Seeing characters
-Zoo
-Making enclosures for animals
-Buying tickets
-Petting/riding animals
-Eating popcorn
-Zookeeper feeding/cleaning animals
-Farm/Barnyard
-Putting animals in barn
-Feeding animals hay, etc.
-Farmer drives animals/supplies in tractor
-Farmer rides horses
-Pigs playing in mud
-Farmer fixing injured animals
-New animals/babies eggs hatching
-Circus
-Making circus ring and cages
-Selling tickets
-Clown playing tricks
-Lion tamer
-Flying trapeze artist
-Tight ropewalker
-Eating popcorn, etc.
-Animal rides
-Beach
-Packing bag to go to the beach
-Swimming in the ocean
-Playing in the sand/sandcastles
-Having a picnic lunch
-Surfing
-Being chased by a shark
-Lifeguard saves someone from the water
-Digging for shells
-Camping
-Making a tent
-Having a campfire/toasting marshmallows
-Cooking food on a stove/fire
-Going fishing
-Sleeping in a tent
-Collecting berries
-Hiding from a bear
-Jungle
-Being chased/hiding from alligator
-Making caves/animals houses
-Tarzan pretend play
-Swinging from vines
-Animals looking for food/drinks
-Hiding from the rain
-Castle Play
-Knights/kings/queens dress up
-Riding horses
-Having feasts
-Fighting with other knights
-Castle wars/firing cannonballs
-Putting bad guys in the dungeon
-Finding and hiding treasure
4. Occupation Pretend Play
-Fireman
-Fire station (going down pole, putting on fireman clothes)
-Calling fireman on phone 911
-Driving fire truck (siren)
-Putting out fire
-Saving people from house
-Climbing ladder
-Getting pet out of tree
-Doctor
-Riding in ambulance
-Taking temperature
-Listening to heart
-Taking blood pressure
-Looking at throat/ears (say ahh)
-Checking for reflexes
-Giving shot
-Giving medicine
-Putting on a Band-Aid
-Putting on a cast
-Taking an x-ray
-Mailman
-Writing/mailing a letter
-Putting in mailbox
-Riding in mail truck
-Stamping mail
-Delivering mail/packages
-Policeman
-Ride in police car (siren)
-Catching speeders
-Giving speeding tickets
-Catching robbers
-Taking bad guys to jail
-Taking fingerprints
-Taking mug shots
-Locking them in jail
-Escaping from jail
-Directing traffic
-Cowboys and Indians
-Riding horses
-Dress up
-Making a teepee
-Making a fire
-Indian dancing
-Riding a pretend hide-out
-Pretend fighting
-Taking prisoners/putting someone in jail
-Escaping from jail
-Pilot
-Airplane taking off
-Airplane landing
-Flying to different destinations
-Putting gas in the airplane
-Teacher
-Pretend circle time
-Reading story
-Taking attendance
-Giving worksheets
-Singing songs/say pledge
-Mechanic
-Changing tires
-Fixing engine
-Astronaut
-Building a rocket
-Putting on space suit/helmet
-Blasting off
-Landing on moon/planets
-Using walkie talkie
-Collecting moon rocks
-Making friends with aliens
-Fighting with aliens
-Building a settlement
-Pirate
-Building a pirate ship
-Finding/burying treasure
-Fighting other pirates
-Kidnapping other people/rescuing
-Finding a sunken ship
-Being chased by octopus/shark
-Sinking the ship
-Dancer/Singer
-Performing a concert
-Dressing up in a costume
-Singing into a microphone
-Selling tickets
5. Vehicle/Transportation Pretend Day
-Car Play
-Driving car along road/into garage
-Gas station scenario
-Having race
-Driving through scenario
-Speeding/policeman scenario
-Pretend car crash scenario/ambulance
-Taking the car to mechanic/flat tire
-Going to a car wash
-Pretending to ride in a taxi/bus
-Airplane scenario
-Pilot scenario
-Taking off from airport
-Landing at airport
-Fighter jet scenario
-Boat play
-Pirate scenario
-Scuba diver looking for underwater animals
-Finding sunken ship
-Being chased by shark/octopus
-Making paper sailboats/races
-Finding buried treasure
-Catching fish
-Being in a row boat/rowing oars
-Train play
-Pushing train around the tracks
-Putting passengers on train
-Going through tunnel
-Putting fuel in train
-Stopping at station
-Being the conductor (all aboard)
-Thomas the Tank Engine scenario
-Little Engine that could scenario
6. Fantasy Character Pretend Play
-Barbie characters
-Pokemon characters
-Winnie the Pooh characters
-Teletubbies characters
-Disney characters
-Little Mermaid scenario
-101 Dalmatian’s scenario
-Snow White scenario
-Etc.
-Book/TV characters
-Batman scenario
-Superman scenario
-Scooby Doo scenario
-Arthur scenario
-Puppet shows
-Making puppets/stage
-Writing scripts
-Making signs
-Selling tickets and popcorn
-Performing show for audience
7. Construction Play
-Blocks
-Build a house/tower etc.
-Build roads/car play
-Build town/communities
-Pretend earthquakes/giant/monster knocks over blocks
-Pretend airplane/train etc.
-Legos
-Build a house/tower etc.
-Build roads/car play
-Build town/communities
-Build airplane/ship/train
-Build rocket/spaceship
-Build creatures/monsters
-Zoo scenario
-Space scenario
-Underwater scenario
-Jungle scenario
-Pirate scenario
-Lincoln Logs
-Play-Doh
-Rolling/patting/squeezing/cutting/using cookie cutter
-Making cookies/cupcakes/food scenario
-Making snowman
-Making animals/people
-Making animal/dinosaur finger footprints
-Making animal/dinosaur leaf fossils
-Making jewelry/rings/bracelet/etc.
-Play-doh kits
8. Organized Game Play
-Board Games
-Candyland
-Chutes and Ladders
-Barnyard Bingo
-Numbers/Letters/Shapes/Colors lotto
-Listening Lotto
-Memory Match
-Mr. Potato Head Pals
-Don’t Break the Ice
-Don’t Spill the Beans
-Kids on Stage
-Hot Potato
-Peanut Panic
-Don’t Wake Daddy
-Guess Who?
-Mousetrap
-Marble Madness
-Trouble
-Sorry
-Concentration
-KerPlunk
-Jenga
-Mr. Mouth
-Hungry Hungry Hippo
-Card games
-Old Maid
-Go fish
-Animal Snaps
-War