Help with thinking of imaginative games for GC

My 4 year old DGD loves playing hide and seek. She gets so excited when I 'find' her. She also loves me reading to her, we can get through 4 or 5 short stories at a time.

My GD loves playing tea party, which involves us sitting on the floor pouring pretend tea, adding milk and sugar, and pretending to drink; over and over again.

Mine love anything to do with drawing. I stock up on paper, colouring books, crayons, (washable) felt tips, pencils, stencils etc. They head straight for the cupboard when they're here and get out the biscuit tins where all the pens are stored.

We do potato printing too (more supervision needed) and they never seem to get bored with it.

DGD is 2 ½ and loves imaginative games - we go on holiday on planes, go in lifts (corner of living room) and a taxi - driving is "Wind the bobbin up" song, swimming in her play tent, she loves the shopping game - Tesco granny, now Aldi, now Asda - that can last for over an hour. Her cousin is only 20 months but follows on as long as he has a car in his hand. DD2 used to play at vets with all her toy animals and DD1 at schools with her dollies (she is now a teacher!). Outside games gathering acorns for food and leaves to make a den. Orchard games are very good board games with lots for younger children - shopping, counting, cafes etc maybe more for 3 to 4 year old but toddler can get their own board but probably not actively play. DGS2 at 20 months is very active but short attention span - he loves moving cars about, jumping on beds! going for walks round our housing estate and seeing real cars, chasing the cat, kicking balls, toy trains. All of them including 6 year old love helping with housework!!! and baking/cooking. So really not things needing a great deal of thought to set up - just ordinary activities but child directed.

One of the best games we play, especially good with such different ages is.....buy some sticker sheets eg smiley faces. Each child has a large card with one of "their" colour stickers to collect. (Tgey might have 3 different colours to collect) Before they arrive, go round house putting stickers all round the place, door frames, skirting boards, cupboard door etc ...you dont have to stick them down firmly, just the edge stuck on. Children go round collecting their colour stickers then counting how many etc. Another idea is buy animal stickers christmas stickers, Easter stickers to fo same thing. They love it

Mine used to love shops - I would set up the ironing board as the shop counter and we would take it in turns to be the shopper and the shop keeper. If you can buy a little cash register it makes it quite fun actually!

Hide and seek - always a good one

Cafes - make up menus, set up the table like a cafe, take turns to be the waiting staff/customer

Treasure hunt - this can be indoors or outdoors. The clues can be very basic and they can help make them up, and the treasure can be simple items

Kim's game - items on a tray, a quick look, get them to close their eyes while you remove one and ask them which one is missing

Thank you Esther1 hadn't thought of using things from my cupboard sounds good fun.

Two of mine are exactly those ages. They love playing ‘shop’ - really easy to set up with stuff you have in the house. The little one happily rearranges the ‘stock’ and the older one plays at being the customer.