How to Set Up a Garden Shop Pretend Play Area

It’s no secret that we love pretend play around here. When I was a little girl I was obsessed with all things imagination. Anyone else? Pretend school teacher, doctor, or restaurant? I was all about it! Princess, police officer, or veterinarian? Sign me up! Turns out my deep love for pretend play has trickled down to my girls (#momwin) and this pretend play stand my husband and I built has been welcomed with open arms and little girl squeals. I promise I’ll share that DIY with you soon, but I just couldn’t wait to show you the Garden Shop we’ve been playing with. We have had so much fun playing and pretending with seed packets, flowers and plants galore. I’m so excited to share with you how we created our shop so you and your little(s) can set up your very own Garden Shop Pretend Play area!

What to include in a Garden Shop Pretend Play Area?

(Affiliate Links are included below for your convenience)

• Garden Shop Printables
• Faux Flowers (Easy to find at a craft or dollar store)
• Faux Plants (I grabbed a few plants I had around the house from IKEA)
• Cash Register (We love ours from IKEA. Similar one here)
• Flower Pots
• Seed Packets
• Watering Can (We got ours from Target. Similar one here)
• Gardening Tools (We got ours from Target. Similar set here)

For the flower garden I used a small crate and painted it white. I followed this tutorial to make the soil and then added faux flowers in a variety of colors. It’s so fun because you can actually pretend to pick the flowers out of the soil. We are also going to use it as a pretend fruit and veggie garden.

Of course a garden shop wouldn’t be complete without seed packets!

We also chose to offer fresh fruits and vegetables. I made these with felt, a glue gun, and a few hand sewn stitches. No sewing machine here!

Hand grown freshly picked carrots coming right up!

Here’s a few more shots of our garden shop!

I love how kids can get SO into pretend play! The best part? There’s so much learning and creativity going on as they imagine. They’re also exposed to new vocabulary, math concepts (as they determine and calculate prices), and pre-writing skills (communicating their ideas through pictures, words & numbers). Plus it’s just so much fun! We adore learning through play.

Of course pretend play also provides an avenue to practice sharing and taking turns with little sister. Much to Bridgett’s dismay, Libby enjoyed her role of pulling things off the shelves. Ha! It will be fun to watch the girls pretend and play together as she gets older.

So there you have it! All you need to set up your very own Garden Shop. I hope you and your little one(s) enjoy spending lots of creative time together playing and pretending. I’m off to buy some more flowers and potting soil from this cute little business owner!

Click HERE to purchase the Printable Garden Shop Pretend Play Kit

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