Creature Dinner Party

Materials:

• Writing materials (optional)

What if your pet goldfish threw a party and everybody—all the other animals, that is—came?

As you prepare dinner, imagine with your child that one of your family pets, or another animal, is having a dinner party, and the two of you have been asked to plan the gala affair.

First, have your child make up a guest list. Perhaps Highway, the guppy, would like to ask Fish One, the goldfish, and the rest of the fish in your tank to the bash. And, for variety, Highway also wants to include non-fish creatures such as Charlotte and Emily (a couple of felines) and Hobbes and Meendrah (a hamster duo). Of course, other guests can include zoo and farm animals.

Then have your child create a menu with foods sure to be enjoyed by all the guests. Encourage your child to include a variety so that there's something for everybody, such as fish flakes, cat chow, and hamster nibbles.

Your child can also list decorations that would be appropriate for the party. Perhaps coral reefs would make the fish and the sea animals feel right at home!

More on: Imagination Play

Excerpted from:

© 2005 by Steve and Ruth Bennett. Excerpted from 365 Unplugged Family Fun Activities with permission of its publisher, Perseus Books Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

To order this book visit perseusbooksgroup.com.