Must Have Supply List for Imaginative Play

August 29, 2014

If imaginative play is the work of children, then their workplace must be equipped for some serious playing! A stash of ‘stuff’ where our creative wonders can find the perfect thing to make, say, a pirate’s eyepatch or a tiara for a princess is a gold mine for the storyteller in your family.

Many of these supplies can be found in the craft or stationary section of your favorite store. A careful look around garage sales or local thrift shops can yield a surprising bounty as well. Armed with personal knowledge of your child’s play preferences and learning style you will get better and better at spotting treasures to take home! Parents, you will want to keep a supply of thread, needles and perhaps a sewing machine at the ready for quick fixes.

This a list of my favorite things to have on hand for the little engineers in your home.

Stationary items:
Paper reinforcements are perfect for reinforcing eye patches and stringing decorations, paper necklace
Poster board or newsprint for shop signs, street signs, party games like pin the tail on the unicorn
Recycled computer paper for art projects, menus, tickets, booklets
Construction paper for hats, crowns, fans, collages, paper airplanes, making snowflakes, etc
Wrapping paper, tissue paper, tracing paper to capture the perfect design
Scotch tape, masking tape or duct tape (to hold the big stuff together)

Craft /miscellaneous items:
Holiday decorations, stickers, ornaments on sale
Feathers for headbands, art designs, hats
Pipe cleaners for building, connecting and decorating
Felt, fabric, ribbons for art or costume embellishment
Yarn, string, elastic thread, shoelaces
Glitter for fun

Drawing supplies
A child size table and chairs
Plastic cover for table top
Aprons
Washable markers, colored pencils, crayons
Watercolor paints, brushes
Chalk and chalkboard
Puffy or colored glue/paint
Face paint

Tools:
Blunt scissors
Hole punch
Glue sticks
Rulers

Around the house:
Egg cartons are great first time building blocks- they don’t hurt when they fall on you!
Paper towel rolls make spyglasses, monster ears, ornaments to string for parties, etcPlastic jars, all sizes to sort and store things; to play grocer or stock the kitchen
Cardboard boxes for all sorts for building: big and little (appliance size to bar soap size)
Flat cardboard for props like shields or swords
Empty food boxes to play grocer or stock the kitchen
Tin cans
Aluminum foil
Bottle caps for sorting, playing pieces for games

Outdoor
Buckets, bins, flower pots, containers of all sorts
Scoops, spoons, hand gardening tools
Cups, glasses or pitchers
Safe sand or soil for playing

Keep your eyes open for everyday treasures. Happy playing!