Imaginary play ideas & creative activities for preschoolers

Why play is important for imaginative and creative development in preschoolers

Play fosters creativity and imagination in preschoolers, and the preschool years can be one of the most creative times in a child’s life.

Preschoolers use their growing imaginations to:

build confidence
express feelings and learn communication skills
develop, practise and improve coordination and motor skills
practise decision-making, problem-solving and critical thinking
explore ideas in a safe environment.

These are important qualities and skills for the preschool years and beyond.

How your preschooler’s imagination develops

3 years

From around this age, your child might enjoy dramatic play using puppets and dress-ups, tell you very detailed stories about things that never happened, or have an imaginary friend. Your child might also pretend to be a grown-up, a doctor or an astronaut.

4 years

Your child will probably want any chance to scribble, draw, paint and paste. At around this age, your child can draw simple pictures of places, things and people from their imagination.

5 years

By now your child is starting to get better at drawing complex shapes – like diamonds, triangles and stars – and can express thoughts and ideas through drawing. Your child might also start to use art to tell stories or describe things that they’ve seen.

Children at this age can’t always tell what’s real and what’s made up. This might mean that scary monsters in stories seem real to your child. If your child has nightmares, reassure your child that they’re safe and explain that the monsters are only make-believe and can’t hurt them.

Play ideas and creative activities to help preschooler imaginations grow

Try to step back from your child’s play. This gives your child the chance to decide what and how they want to play. But remember that your child still needs you to encourage and help them if they are having trouble or feel overwhelmed.

Play ideas to stimulate your child’s imagination

Tell stories and read books. Your child might enjoy making up new endings for familiar stories or making up stories based on the pictures.
Share silly rhymes and riddles. Preschoolers love word games and enjoy making up their own jokes or rhymes.
Make time for outdoor play in safe spaces that give your child freedom and time to explore.
Encourage your child to pretend to be various characters while they help you with household chores. Your child could be a waiter who helps to set the table. Or they could be a chef and help you with basic cooking.
Set up a special play space at home. Large cardboard boxes or cloths draped over chairs provide endless possibilities for pretend play. Include plenty of toys like blocks or balls, which allow for open-ended play.
Take the time to rest and dream. Lie on your backs together and look at the clouds and the sky. Imagine what the various shapes could be.
Go for a nature walk or play outside in different kinds of weather. This is a simple way for your child to experience new and stimulating environments.

Low-cost creative activities for your child

Give your child crayons or pencils for drawing and scribbling. Your child could make simple maps of your neighbourhood or the way to a friend’s house.
Make a ‘busy box’ for your child, full of things like icy pole sticks, coloured papers, string, glue and other recyclables like cardboard boxes and plastic bottles. It can also include natural items like twigs, petals, stones or feathers. These are great for craft projects.
Collect a box of old clothes, shoes, jumpers, boots, handbags and other things for dress-up games.
Set up a messy play area with sand, clay, playdough, paints, water or mud. You can also take a trip to the beach or river bed to play in the sand and clay.
Keep old magazines and catalogues. Your child can cut out pictures of people, animals and objects to use for collage.
Enjoy puppet play with your child. All you need to get started is a sock or even just a paper bag!
Listen to music or make musical instruments from everyday objects like empty milk cartons filled with uncooked rice or pebbles, or rubber bands stretched over an opened box. Make music a part of your child’s other activities – for example, singing and drawing at the same time.

You’ll see your child expressing their imagination and ideas in all kinds of creative ways. Get more ideas for creative activities to do with your child.

Screen time, digital technology use and imaginative play

It’s good to know that screen time and digital technology use can spark your child’s play and imagination.

For example, drawing or painting on a screen can develop your child’s ability to use shape and colour in imaginative ways. Or your child might get new off-screen play ideas from using digital technology – for example, from watching a good-quality TV show like Play School.

Here are a few things you can do to help your child get the most out of screen time and digital technology use:

And remember – healthy screen time and digital technology use is all about balance. It’s good for your child’s development to do plenty of different activities, including pretend and creative play, physical play, social play and reading, as well as digital play.

In general, the key events in development happen in a similar order, but the age they happen might vary for each child. If you’re concerned about any aspect of your child’s development, it’s a good idea to talk with your child and family health nurse or GP or your child’s preschool teacher or early childhood educator.