Pretend play is not only fun for all ages, but also a great learning tool! Check out these ideas to create your very own Wild Wild West right at home. These items and ideas will help set the stage for your kids to truly get into the cowboy/cowgirl spirit.

Cowboy/Cowgirl Dress Up

Dress up is the perfect way to get your kids imaginations going.  Check out these sets from small shops to get your kids all geared up for the Wild Wild West. Add a horse for them to ride to really get them into the spirit!  Pool noodles make a perfect imaginary horse

Adventure Walk

Create your very own gold rush using "golden" items from around your house! You can send your kids out in the backyard to look on their own, or go on a nature walk around your neighborhood to see what ‘relics’ you can find.  The kids can lay out all their finds and imagine all the different ways they could have been used in the Wild Wild West. 

Create Your Own Ranch and Pastures

Let’s your kids use blocks inside, or sticks outside to created fences for pastures.  Then they can bring their stuffed animals into the pastures and play ranch.  They can decide which animals go where and pretend to herd them into their pens with their pretend pool noodle horses.

Build Your Own Campsite

Bring out some of your tent and camping items. Let the kids collect sticks for a ‘fire’, bring out ‘wild animals’ (stuffed animals), tie up pretend horses, and let their imaginations run with it!

Track Wild Animals

Cut out animal footprints and place them around your backyard and house.  Let your children find the tracks and imagine what kinds of animals left them!