How do you play playing house?

Playing house is a classic childhood game where kids pretend to act out various family roles like mom, dad, children, pets, etc. It’s an open-ended, imaginative game that allows kids to explore family dynamics, home life responsibilities, and social roles. Though the specifics can vary, the general gameplay is fairly straightforward and simple, requiring little in the way of specialized equipment. Typically it’s played with just a group of children, improvised “props,” and their imagination.

Selecting Roles

The first step in playing house is to decide who will take on which role in the “family.” There are no hard rules governing which kids play which parts, but typical family roles include:

• Mom
• Dad
• Baby
• Older brother/sister
• Younger brother/sister
• Grandparent
• Pet dog or cat

Kids often choose roles that mimic their real families, with the older kids acting as parents and younger ones as children. Gender doesn’t necessarily determine who plays which role either. Boys can be the mom and girls can be the dad if they want. Part of the fun is getting to act out roles different from real life.

Setting Up the House

Once roles are chosen, the next step is designating a space to serve as the “house.” This is where the pretend play will take place. The house can be set up indoors or outdoors. Good options include:

• Inside a big cardboard box
• In a bedroom, playroom, or living room
• On a porch or under a tree
• In a clubhouse or playground structure
• In a tent or under a blanket fort

Kids typically use their imagination to convert the space into different rooms of the house. For example, one corner under a blanket can be the kitchen, another corner the nursery. There are no set limits or rules for what each area represents. Players simply agree to pretend it’s a specific room and proceed with playacting under that assumption.

Gathering Props

For added fun, kids will gather various household items and toys to use as props. Things like:

• Kitchenware for cooking and cleaning
• Dolls, stuffed animals or blocks as baby props
• Toy phones, cars, cash registers, etc.
• Dress up clothes like big hats, scarves, jackets
• Furniture like chairs, boxes, blankets

Again, there’s lots of room for creativity and substitution. A small box can represent the oven, a block the kitchen table. Kids pretend along, verbally describing what each prop represents. The more items gathered, the more elaborate the playtime scenario can become.

Acting Out Family Life

Once the scene is set, the kids start dramatizing family roles and situations. Common pretend play themes include:

• Morning wake up routines and breakfast
• Packing lunches and sending kids off to school
• Grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning up
• Caring for pets or babies
• Evening meals, bedtime routines
• Going on vacation or road trips
• Celebrating holidays or birthdays

The play unfolds organically based on the children’s’ interests and imaginations. Kids verbally interact in character to create stories. One child playing mom may announce she’s leaving for work now, rattling her “car keys,” while the “dad” pretends to vacuum with a pretend vacuum. The baby doll cries for a bottle. Kids take turns acting out behaviors fitting their role, like a big sister helping feed the baby or a pet dog playing fetch.

There’s no right or wrong way to act out situations. Kids follow impulses and playfully experiment with dynamics. Roleplaying helps build cooperation, communication, empathy and problem solving as they navigate scenarios. Play ends when kids grow bored and move onto new games.

Establishing Rules

To keep things friendly, it helps to set some rules before play starts, such as:

• Take turns and share roles
• No arguing if someone wants the same role as you
• Be respectful of other people’s ideas
• Allow anyone to try different roles
• Play gentle, no rough housing
• Listen if someone says stop

Having basic guidelines helps avoid conflicts and ensure everyone enjoys playing house. Rules can always be adjusted or added if new issues arise while playing.

Playing Different Versions

While a standard family scenario is most common, kids can get creative and act out alternative storylines and situations during pretend play. Some options include:

• Hotel or Restaurant – Kids take turns being guest, server, manager, chef, etc.
• School – One child plays teacher and the rest are students.
• Store – Assign roles of cashier, bagger, manager, security, etc.
• Hospital – Pretend to be doctors, nurses, patients, receptionists.
• Spaceship or Pirate Ship – Crew members act out jobs needed on board.

Expanding beyond standard family roles encourages kids to think more flexibly, cooperatively and creatively during play.

Benefits of Playing House

Why do kids enjoy playing house so much? What do they gain from the experience? Some top benefits include:

• Roles and Responsibilities – Trying on family roles helps kids learn about duties.
• Life Skills – Cooking, cleaning and childcare teach basic life skills.
• Cooperation – Compromising to decide roles builds teamwork.
• Emotional Skills – Expressing emotions pretendly boosts self-regulation.
• Problem Solving – Overcoming play challenges exercises critical thinking.
• Vocabulary – Interactive play provides language opportunities.
• Imagination – Open-ended play sparks kids’ imaginations.

Research shows pretend play helps kids develop cognitive, social, emotional and communication abilities. The benefits last well beyond childhood too.

Adult Involvement

Should grown-ups get involved in playing house? Parental interaction can enrich the experience:

• Provide costume items, props and play space to spur creativity.
• Model cooperative language and behavior as a playmate.
• Ask occasional open-ended questions about their play storyline.
• Praise their imagination, teamwork and problem solving.
• Avoid controlling the play; let kids take the lead.
• Watch for any conflicts to mediate if needed.

Light involvement enhances the fun and learning. But too much interference can undermine the organic flow of dramatic play. It’s important kids direct the scenarios themselves.

Conclusion

At its core, playing house simply requires willing imaginations and cooperative playmates. By assigning roles and dramatizing family lives, kids act out roles in an improvised, dynamic way. The open-ended nature encourages creativity, empathy and communication skills. Simple props enrich the experience, but mostly it’s about imaginative roleplay. Playing house allows kids to flexibly explore social dynamics that reflect real life in a lighthearted, fun way alongside siblings and friends. This timeless, versatile game will likely continue entertaining and educating kids for generations to come.