Kids love to pretend! These role-play exercises provide tons of fun for little ones and allow their imaginations to run wild. Role play is good for English Language Learners in English class, is perfect for active learning of complex scenarios, and provides a range of opportunities within a variety of different learning environments. Check out our collection of 20 imaginative role-play scenarios to allow your little ones to get acquainted with real-life events.
1. Health Care Provider
As students pretend to be healthcare workers, they are encouraged to ask common questions and imitate what they have seen and experienced at their own healthcare appointments. Add some cute costumes to the mix for even more fun!
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2. Veterinarian
Another healthcare-related role play is a veterinarian. Let your little ones practice taking care of animals. Their stuffed animals are the perfect patients. This is a great opportunity to talk about vocabulary that’s related to animals and how to take care of them.
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3. Astronaut
Students will love pretending to soar over the Earth at crazy high altitudes! Let them pretend to wear the space suit and experience life without gravity. Children will enjoy the world of outer space as they pretend to experience another galaxy!
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4. Teacher
Most kids love the chance to pretend to be a teacher for the day. They can teach other kids or even teach their stuffed animals. They will teach what they know and can even write on the chalkboard or whiteboard!
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5. Fairytale Play
Fairytale role play is a great way to reinforce storytelling and allow students to express themselves through play. They can interact with each other to act out the parts from their favorite fairy tales. Students can get creative with their costumes and act out their favorite parts.
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6. Supermarket Role Play
Most boys and girls enjoy playing in the kitchen and grocery store. This is a scenario that most kids find themselves reenacting. They can pick out groceries and check them out with the cashier.
Learn More: Play Like Mum
7. Car Shop
Working at the car shop is a lot of fun for many kids! They can get to work on the tune-up that may be needed on their Power Wheels or any ride-on toys and bicycles. They can use pretend tools or even some real ones.
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8. Building
Role-playing the part of a builder is something almost every kid does at some point. Provide blocks, logs, and other varied-sized objects. Little ones could even draw out blueprints of their buildings.
Learn More: Kiddy 123
9. Tool Worker
Get a tiny hard hat and some super cool tools! Battery-operated toy drills and other plastic toy tools are great for this role-play activity. You can even give kids some play safety goggles. Help them talk through all the things they will build and fix!
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10. Pilot
Flying is an event not all kids will get to experience, so bring the experience to them in this role-play scenario. Let them make a pretend plane to practice their air-flying skills. Don’t forget to help them dress for the occasion!
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11. Play House
An easy role-play activity to prepare is the one of students playing house. They live in households where they see parents doing jobs to make the household run smoothly. If you have a plastic play kitchen, it is perfect for this role-play activity.
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12. Gardener
Grab the gardening gloves and role-play as you plant a garden. Consider creating a fairy garden, herb garden or even a few pretend plants. Provide small shovels and tools so that little ones can work in the dirt; or pretend to at the very least!
Learn More: Discovery Play with Littles
13. Baker
Many kids enjoy helping out in the kitchen and being a baker! They can do a role play inspired by this profession by pretending to set up their own bakery and providing many options of baked sweet treats for their customers.
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14. Pirates
Pirate pretend play is easy to organize! Use recycled materials from around your house to build a small pirate ship and some props for your little pirates to use. Create some cute costumes and complete the look with eye patches and hooks; your little pirates are now all set for creative role-play!
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15. Mailman
One of the most important jobs is a mailman. While the mailman delivers mail, the people working at the post office also have important jobs. This would be a great role-play center and students can have fun using stamps, letters, and even a cash register as they help their pretend customers.
Learn More: Bright Star Kids
16. Florist
Creating a florist scenario is a fun way to practice many skills through role-play. From answering the phone to checking out customers, there are many different activities at the florist. Provide artificial flowers for your little pretend florist to practice making beautiful arrangements.
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17. Princess Tea Party
A tea party is a great role-playing exercise. Practice using words and terminology that will encourage good manners. If no one else is available, kiddos can always use their stuffed animals at their tea party.
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18. Pizza Parlor
Let your child create their own pizza parlor. Encourage language when they take your order and provide items they can use to prepare your order. Whether you allow real kitchen items or plastic and pretend ones, remember to use bits of language that will work well with the common role of workers in this business.
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19. Space Station Control Center Play
Create your own space exploration center and host role-plays with space explorers and astronauts. Use this to help cement your space learning unit. Much like an airport scenario or an astronaut in space, this role-play scenario is based at the space center and your little ones can man the control panels.
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20. Police Officer
Pretending to be a police officer offers perfect practice in communication skills. Little ones can pretend to write tickets, make arrests, uphold the house or class rules, and keep the peace. They can even use a makeshift police cruiser to make their rounds.
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