The Introduction of Pretend Play

I think one of my favorite things right now is Elliott’s relatively new use of pretend play. He has been pretending remotes were telephones for some time, but this level of pretend play is different. He has become a master of cooking soup and fixing tea as well as making sure his animal friends (especially Pooh) are well fed and taken care of.

The spoils of Elliott's birthday party

I hadn’t really thought much about Elliott being ready for this type of play until he joined his new Gymboree class at the beginning of the year. As a result, pretend play ‘toys’ were heavily featured for his birthday. Not only did he end up with the coolest set of dishware (which not only is made from recycled milk jugs but can also actually be used!), but he now has a couple coordinating pots and pans as well as a set of stuffed veggies. I also made him a stove out of a cardboard box. Here you can see him playing with his new toys just after his birthday party (and yes, I am THAT behind in sharing this video). Mr. Polar Bear was well taken care of that day!