2.5y–4.2y12 minFree playFamily timeMealtime
Play It Back: Our Outing Role-Play
After a real outing or routine, you invites your child to replay it in pretend (cafe/bus/doctor), supporting them to start, stay on theme, and link actions and simple role language into a short sequence.
What you'll need
Essentials
- 2-3 quick props (e.g., cup/spoon, paper + pencil, a small bag)
- 1 soft toy/figure (to be a customer/patient/passenger)
Nice to have
- a pretend phone (or a clean, unused remote as a prop)
- sticky notes or scrap paper (tickets/menus)
- toy money or a few safe coins (adult supervised)
Movement level: low
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
- MilestoneReenacts familiar experiencesMind· 2.2y–3.8y· core
- MilestoneEnacts a pretend roleMind· 3y–5y· core· Steps 1, 2
- MilestoneAdds a sequenced storylineMind· 4y–5y· stretch
- MilestonePlans a pretend scenarioMind· 3.3y–5y· stretch· Step 1
- MilestoneStays focused during activityMind· 2.5y–3y· core· Step 3
- MilestoneCreates pretend small world stories with toysMind· 3y–4y· stretch· Step 4
- MilestoneInvites others into pretend playHeart· 2.5y–3y· stretch· Step 4
What it practices
- Engages in imaginative role-play based on own first-hand experiences.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Uses available resources to create props to support role-play.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Builds stories around toys, e.g. farm animals needing rescue from an armchair ‘cliff’.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE) — construct-derived activity authored from enriched DM2012 construct