Ingredients:
- Kitchen items like plastic plates and platters, cups, eating utensils
- Craft items
- Construction paper
- Glue, tape, safety scissors
- Paper, pencils, crayons
Prep Time:
Recipe for Fun!
Pretend play helps kids of all ages think, create and problem solve, while providing plenty of opportunities for children to work on language development, social skills, and critical thinking.
STEP 1: Have your kids invent their own restaurant cafe starting by creating their own menu (choose breakfast food, lunch, or dinner meals or just dessert)
STEP 2: Using paper and crayons, have your children write out their menus, decorating the page with pictures corresponding to the menu items
STEP 3: Now each child can take one of the carton halves, turn it upside down and paint it with Tempera paint.
STEP 4: Depending upon the age of your children and the time allowed, you can make your own menu items using assorted craft items like felt, construction paper, pom poms and more.
STEP 5: Open the café when the children are ready. Let the oldest child start by taking orders with pencil and paper. As the oldest prepares the food for the table, the next child can get ready to take the next customer’s orders.
Benefits of Play: Creative, Cognitive Social, Emotional, Communication