Preview draft. Activities have not been tested with caregivers.
Celebrations · The activity desk
Build a pretend leprechaun hideout
Make a small box hideout for an imaginary leprechaun.
Let's play →
A little plan for play
Open interactive activity →Add to play journal →What you need
A clean empty shoebox, a full sheet of paper, paper tape and large child-appropriate crayons
Age: 3–5 years; choose for the individual child.
Stay with the child throughout. Check the space and supplies, including anything within reach of younger siblings. Skip any activity that is unsuitable. Stop if a child puts non-food material in their mouth or becomes distressed. Use intact books, full sheets of paper, a large child-appropriate crayon and a clean, dry towel. Follow product labels; remove torn paper and keep broken crayons and caps away from children. Adult handles and stores supplies.
Set up: Place the open box on a table. An adult prepares short pieces of tape.
Adult's role: Explain that this is pretend play based on a folklore character. Help attach the paper and encourage the child's own ideas.
Let's make it happen
- Draw a door and windows on the paper, then tape it to one side of the box.
- Add a paper path or draw an imaginary garden beside the hideout.
- Tell a story about who visits the hideout. Change the design and tell a new story.
Make it simpler: Draw a hideout on paper instead of using a box.
Clean up: Collect loose tape and paper and put the box away.
Keep boxes off heads and keep loose tape away from younger children. Use the box for pretend characters only.