Pretend Play at Home Activity

Daniel Tiger’s friend Jodi makes a special box tunnel from a cardboard box. What could you build out of a cardboard box? A rocket ship? A train? A fort? Keep an eye out for a big box and then turn that box into something for your pretend play.

Look for items from your closet that your child can use to play dress-up. Items like adult shoes, a jacket, a purse, a backpack, or a briefcase may be easy for your child to recognize and associate with someone in the family. Children like to pretend to be “you” or someone they know well. You might need to start the pretend play by saying, “Pretend you’re ______. Where are you going? What are you doing today?”

Sometimes Daniel Tiger wears a cape and pretends he has super powers to help others. Ask your child to think about how they would use super powers if they had them. Then use towels or fabric to make superhero capes for your pretend super hero adventures.

Old Halloween costumes can inspire pretend play year-round. You can even mix and match old costumes to make something brand new!

Make puppets and put on a puppet show. You can make puppets of Daniel and his friends with paper bags and construction paper or use old socks to make your own original sock puppets. Glue on buttons for eyes or use markers to draw a face on the sock puppet.