By the Babbez team · Play at home · Checked October 2026
Pretend play for toddlers can start without a toy set: food boxes make a shop and a saucepan a café. Our 10 set-ups use household things, including soft toys or dolls; each is ready in about 5 minutes or less (our estimate), with its floor space, a clean-up step and the US CDC tip that gave us the idea.
Key takeaways
- Our set-ups follow the Five-Minute Rule: all 10 set-ups are ready in about 5 minutes or less; 6 of them take about 3 minutes or less.
- Our table lists 19 different prop entries for all 10 set-ups; the most reused are soft toys or dolls in 6, the shoebox in 4, tea towels in 3 set-ups.
- Our set-ups follow the Closing-Time Rule: every set-up ends with an in-story clean-up of about 3 minutes or less.
What is pretend play for a toddler?
On this page, pretend play (also called role play) means acting out an everyday scene together: your toddler is the shopkeeper, the vet or the bus driver, and household things stand in for the real ones. According to the US CDC’s tips for toddlers 2–3 years: “Encourage your child to take part in pretend play.”
Source: CDC. The CDC tips on this page are quoted word for word from the US CDC’s Positive Parenting Tips pages for toddlers (1–2 years, last reviewed 20 Feb 2026; 2–3 years, last reviewed 29 Jan 2026). All CDC material on this page is otherwise available on the CDC website for no charge. Use of CDC material on this page, including links to CDC web pages, does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government of Babbez or its products or services.
Pretend play ideas: our 10 set-ups at a glance
7 of our 10 set-ups follow a tip on CDC’s toddlers 1–2 years page and 3 a tip on its 2–3 years page: the last column shows where the idea comes from, not an age limit.
| Set-up (role) | Household props | Set-up | Clean-up | Space | Idea from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corner shop (shopkeeper and shopper) | clean, empty cardboard food boxes (cereal, pasta, crackers); a laundry basket; a shoebox with a slot cut in its lid | about 5 min (our est.) | about 3 min | Table side | CDC 1–2 yrs |
| Café (cook and waiter) | saucepans and a wooden spoon; unbreakable bowls and cups; soft toys or dolls; tea towels | about 3 min (our est.) | about 2 min | Table side | CDC 2–3 yrs |
| Vet clinic (vet) | soft toys or dolls; tea towels; an old adult T-shirt | about 3 min (our est.) | about 2 min | Corner | CDC 1–2 yrs |
| Post office (postie) | old envelopes from opened post; a pen (for you to write with); a shoebox with a slot cut in its lid; soft toys or dolls | about 5 min (our est.) | about 2 min | Corner | CDC 2–3 yrs |
| Bus ride (bus driver) | kitchen chairs; a paper plate; soft toys or dolls | about 3 min (our est.) | about 2 min | Strip | CDC 1–2 yrs |
| Teddy’s bedtime story (teddy’s grown-up) | soft toys or dolls; a shoebox with a slot cut in its lid; tea towels; picture books | about 2 min (our est.) | about 1 min | Corner | CDC 1–2 yrs |
| Laundry day (laundry helper) | a cardboard box for the washing machine; clean socks in pairs; a laundry basket | about 4 min (our est.) | about 3 min | Corner | CDC 1–2 yrs |
| Going-out dress-up (a grown-up going out) | an adult sun hat; an old adult T-shirt; your toddler’s own jacket and mittens | about 2 min (our est.) | about 2 min | Strip | CDC 1–2 yrs |
| Safari trek (explorer) | kitchen-roll tubes and tape; soft toys or dolls | about 5 min (our est.) | about 2 min | Room | CDC 1–2 yrs |
| Library (librarian) | picture books; a cushion; a shoebox with a slot cut in its lid | about 3 min (our est.) | about 2 min | Table side | CDC 2–3 yrs |
How do you set up each pretend play scene?
Corner shop
Stand the boxes on the sofa edge like a shelf. Ask for one item at a time ("Can you find the cereal?"); your toddler puts it in the basket and pays at the shoebox till with a paper price tag. Clean-up: Closing time: every box goes back in the basket. Idea from CDC’s tips for toddlers 1–2 years: “Ask them to find objects for you or name body parts and objects.”
Café
You and two soft toys are the customers. Order "soup"; your toddler stirs the empty saucepan and serves it in a bowl. Then swap: you cook, they order. Clean-up: Washing-up time: bowls and cups stack back in the cupboard. Idea from CDC’s tips for toddlers 2–3 years: “Encourage your child to take part in pretend play.”
Vet clinic
Three soft-toy animals wait for the vet, who wears the big T-shirt as a coat. Ask "Where does it hurt?" and name the parts together: ears, nose, paws, tail. A tea towel wraps each sore paw. Clean-up: Patients go home: animals back on the shelf, towels in the laundry basket. Idea from the same CDC tip as the corner shop.
Post office
Before play, you write a name on each envelope (your toddler’s, family members’ or the soft toys’) and put the pen away. In play, say each name together; your toddler posts the letters through the shoebox slot, then delivers each one to its owner. Clean-up: Last collection: every letter goes back in the postbox. Idea from CDC’s tips for toddlers 2–3 years: “Encourage your child to tell you their name and age.”
Bus ride
Line the chairs up in a row; the paper plate is the steering wheel. Call out the stops ("Next stop, the park!"), take tickets, and swap who drives. Clean-up: End of the line: passengers off, and you put the chairs back. Idea from CDC’s tips for toddlers 1–2 years: “Encourage your toddler’s curiosity and ability to recognize common objects by taking field trips together to the park or going on a bus ride.”
Teddy’s bedtime story
The shoebox is teddy’s bed and a tea towel is the blanket. Your toddler tucks teddy in and "reads" a picture book to teddy; you read it next. Clean-up: Lights out for teddy: books back on the shelf. Idea from CDC’s tips for toddlers 1–2 years: “Read to your toddler daily”
Laundry day
Draw a round door on the cardboard box: it is the washing machine. Socks go in and come out "clean"; then match the socks into pairs together. Clean-up: Fold-away: pairs go back in the drawer. Idea from CDC’s tips for toddlers 1–2 years: “Play matching games with your toddler, like shape sorting and simple puzzles.”
Going-out dress-up
Your toddler picks the sun hat and the big T-shirt, then puts on their own jacket and mittens with your help, and "goes out" to the end of the hallway and back. Clean-up: Home again: hat, T-shirt and jacket back on the hook. Idea from CDC’s tips for toddlers 1–2 years: “Encourage your child’s growing independence by letting them help with dressing themselves and feeding themselves.”
Safari trek
Tape the two tubes together as binoculars. While your toddler covers their eyes, half-hide five soft-toy animals around the room; the explorer finds each one and says its name or sound. Clean-up: Back to the den: every animal goes back on the shelf. Idea from CDC’s tips for toddlers 1–2 years: “Encourage them to explore and try new things.”
Library
Books stand on the cushion like a display. The librarian "stamps" each book with a fist tap and lends it to you; you read one together. Clean-up: Returns: books go back in the shoebox, then onto the shelf. Idea from CDC’s tips for toddlers 2–3 years: “Set up a special time to read books with your toddler.”
How much space does pretend play need?
In our plan, a set-up is usually not a whole-room job: only the safari trek uses a room.
| Space | Size | Where | Set-ups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corner | about 91 x 91 cm (36 x 36 inches) | a clear floor patch | 4 in our plan: vet clinic, post office, teddy’s bedtime story, laundry day |
| Table side | about 122 x 91 cm (48 x 36 inches) | the floor beside a low table, sofa or shelf | 3 in our plan: corner shop, café, library |
| Strip | about 183 x 91 cm (72 x 36 inches) | a hallway or a strip along one wall | 2 in our plan: bus ride, going-out dress-up |
| Room | no fixed size | the room you are in | 1 in our plan: safari trek |
What do you need for pretend play at home?
Our table lists 19 different prop entries in its props column; the printable is optional.
A shoebox isn’t really a toy, but to a postie it is a postbox. Our slot is about 15 x 3 cm (6 x 1 inches), and we use a box about 46 cm (18 inches) tall as our washing machine. You cut the slot once, before play; CDC’s list for toddlers 1–2 years includes this tip, word for word: “Keep sharp objects such as scissors, knives, and pens in a safe place.” (CDC).
Download our printable signs (PDF)
Our PDF has 6 signs, then a café menu, price tags, bus tickets, stamps and library cards; it fits A4 and US Letter printed at actual size.
For the dress-up scene, see our no-fight dressing tips and how to dress a toddler; for high-energy days, our rainy-day indoor activities; for play clothes, our toddler clothes guide and toddler clothes.
How do you clean up after pretend play?
Our set-ups follow the Closing-Time Rule: every set-up ends with a clean-up step inside the story (closing time, last collection, end of the line), about 3 minutes or less by our estimate, about 21 minutes of clean-up for all 10 together.
When do toddlers start pretend play?
The pretend-play tip we quote sits on CDC’s page for toddlers 2–3 years; we set no start age of our own, and our CDC column is not an age limit. For milestones, the US CDC’s toddler page says: “CDC’s ‘Learn the Signs. Act Early.’ Program has more details on how to track your child’s developmental milestones, and what to do if you’re concerned about your child’s development.” (CDC).
What do the US CDC and CPSC say about toys and play at home?
For toys and play at home, the US CPSC’s Toys page lists, word for word:
- CPSC: “Follow age guidance and other safety information on toy packaging and choose toys that match each child’s interest and abilities.”
- CPSC: “Keep small balls and toys with small parts away from children younger than age 3 and keep deflated balloons away from children younger than age 8.”
CDC’s toddler pages include, word for word: “Dangerous situations can happen quickly, so keep a close eye on your child.” (CDC, toddlers 1–2 years) and “Check toys often for loose or broken parts.” (CDC, toddlers 2–3 years).
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to buy toys for pretend play?
No toy set is needed: our table lists 19 different prop entries of household things for all 10 set-ups, including soft toys or dolls in 6 of them, and the printable signs are optional.
How long does a pretend play set-up take?
By our estimates, about 2 to 5 minutes each, about 35 minutes for all 10 together, and about 1 to 3 minutes each to clean up.
Sources: CDC: Positive Parenting Tips: Toddlers (1–2 years old) and Toddlers (2–3 years old). CPSC: Toys. NIST: Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8 (centimetres use NIST’s exact factor, 2.54, rounded). All read October 2026. CPSC and NIST do not endorse Babbez. Set-ups, times and rules are ours (editorial standards). General information, not medical or safety advice (content disclaimer, medical disclaimer).