Table Top Identiplay
This approach is used to develop children’s imaginative play skills which in turn help develop their thinking skills and can support the development of vocabulary. The approach works by both adult and child having the same equipment and sitting opposite each other at a table or on the floor. As an example you may both have a doll, a babies’ bottle, a flannel and a blanket. The adult plays out a sequence of imaginative play with the doll in this instance, for example they feed the baby with the bottle and wash its face, they wind the baby and then wrap it in a blanket and rock the baby to sleep. The child should join in with their doll. Over time the child begins to lead the play developing their own imagination. Each time you do a session of imaginative play with your child you can change the objects you are using.
Some examples to use are
Cars and ramps, drawn roads, boxes to be garages – Talk as you play “Drive the car down the ramp brrmmm, brmmmm, along the road brrmmmm, brrmmmm and into the garage” (box with a door cut out) “Out of the garage and fill the car up with petrol glug, glug, glug “. “Down the road brrmmmmm stop at the shop” (another box) “home again, Brrrmmm”.
Pretend to make a cake with playdough or a sandwich with play food – Pick up your play knife and pretend to spread the bread saying “Spread the butter”. “Now sprinkle cheese in”, pretend to sprinkle in cheese. “Squirt in salad cream”, pretend to squirt in salad cream. “Put the lettuce in” place pretend lettuce in, “and tomatoes” pretend to put this in. “Bread on top” “yum, yum”.
Teddy bears birthday picnic – bears, foods, plates and cups, pretend cake and teapot. Talk as you play. Pretend to feed the bears, sing happy birthday to the bear and get the bear to blow out the candles.
Toy dog to go to the vets – stethoscope, bandage, play injection. A toy carrier can be made out of a box. Talk as you play the scenario out. Stroke the dog “poor dog is ill” put the dog in the carrier “lets go to the vet” pretend to go to the vet. Get the dog out of the carrier “can you make dog better” etc
Play farm – move the cow into the field “moo, moo, moo” move the sheep into the barn (can be a box) “the sheep are cold, in the barn, baa, baa, baa” “Ducks feel like a swim quack, quack” (use some blue material or paper for a pond). Continue the play along these lines.
Imaginative play development can also happen at any time outside of table top identiplay with you joining in with your child’s play and developing her skills here by modelling imaginative play.
This approach is used to develop children’s imaginative play skills which in turn help develop their thinking skills and can support the development of vocabulary. The approach works by both adult and child having the same equipment and sitting opposite each other at a table or on the floor. As an example you may both have a doll, a babies’ bottle, a flannel and a blanket. The adult plays out a sequence of imaginative play with the doll in this instance, for example they feed the baby with the bottle and wash its face, they wind the baby and then wrap it in a blanket and rock the baby to sleep. The child should join in with their doll. Over time the child begins to lead the play developing their own imagination. Each time you do a session of imaginative play with your child you can change the objects you are using.
Some examples to use are
Cars and ramps, drawn roads, boxes to be garages – Talk as you play “Drive the car down the ramp brrmmm, brmmmm, along the road brrmmmm, brrmmmm and into the garage” (box with a door cut out) “Out of the garage and fill the car up with petrol glug, glug, glug “. “Down the road brrmmmmm stop at the shop” (another box) “home again, Brrrmmm”.
Pretend to make a cake with playdough or a sandwich with play food – Pick up your play knife and pretend to spread the bread saying “Spread the butter”. “Now sprinkle cheese in”, pretend to sprinkle in cheese. “Squirt in salad cream”, pretend to squirt in salad cream. “Put the lettuce in” place pretend lettuce in, “and tomatoes” pretend to put this in. “Bread on top” “yum, yum”.
Teddy bears birthday picnic – bears, foods, plates and cups, pretend cake and teapot. Talk as you play. Pretend to feed the bears, sing happy birthday to the bear and get the bear to blow out the candles.
Toy dog to go to the vets – stethoscope, bandage, play injection. A toy carrier can be made out of a box. Talk as you play the scenario out. Stroke the dog “poor dog is ill” put the dog in the carrier “lets go to the vet” pretend to go to the vet. Get the dog out of the carrier “can you make dog better” etc
Play farm – move the cow into the field “moo, moo, moo” move the sheep into the barn (can be a box) “the sheep are cold, in the barn, baa, baa, baa” “Ducks feel like a swim quack, quack” (use some blue material or paper for a pond). Continue the play along these lines.
Imaginative play development can also happen at any time outside of table top identiplay with you joining in with your child’s play and developing her skills here by modelling imaginative play.