The magic of roleplay
Play without a fixed script
Free roleplay begins with the child. They choose a role, direct the story and change the rules along the way. Fun comes first; development may emerge naturally.
- Self-chosen roles
- No fixed outcome
- Every child plays differently
Free play
The Hood offers ideas. Children decide what happens.
The houses, costumes and familiar objects give children all kinds of ideas for play. One child steps straight into a role, while another watches first or discovers something different. The vet can suddenly become the patient, and a hotel room can just as easily turn into something else. The environment offers the first spark, but the story remains the child's.
What parents can observe
Fun comes first. Development may emerge naturally.
Free roleplay is not a lesson and has no required learning target. Even so, language, shared play, perspective and creativity may naturally become part of what children imagine together.
- 01
Talk
Language has a purpose
Taking an order, explaining what is wrong with a patient or making a plan together. During roleplay, children use language to shape their story and keep the play moving.
- 02
Together
Building a story together
Roles change, ideas collide and stories take unexpected turns. Children talk things through, respond to one another's ideas and imagine together what happens next.
- 03
Empathise
Being someone else for a moment
Doctor, customer, hairdresser, carer or hotel guest: roleplay lets children explore different roles and perspectives, then make each one their own.
- 04
Invent
Room for their own ideas
Free play has no fixed answer. Children can try something, change direction and keep deciding what happens in their story.
This is Playhood
Not a set to look at. A world to step into.
Playhood is a child-sized play street with a hotel, café, supermarket, animal hospital, construction site, hair salon and more. Each Hood is designed to offer ideas without deciding the story. Children imagine what happens next.
- Hotel
- Café
- Supermarket
- Animal hospital
- Construction site
- Hair salon
Honest about the science
A rich play environment
Research shows associations between social pretend play and areas including language use, social competence and positive interactions with other children. That does not mean roleplay causes this development by itself. Free play can offer a natural environment where children use language, play together, explore different roles and follow their own ideas.
You are part of the play
At Playhood, you are not on the sidelines.
Playhood is made for playing together. Some children pull you straight into the hotel, while others explore by themselves first. Join their story, take on a role or simply stay close while the play unfolds.
There is no single right way to play together. Follow what feels comfortable for your family: join in, watch from nearby or let the story surprise you.
Good to know
Questions parents often have first
Does my child already need to be good at playing together?+
No. Playing alongside others, watching and joining slowly all count. The environment offers ideas, but every child decides how big their role will be.
Is it only fun for highly imaginative children?+
No. Familiar spaces and objects help children get started. A key, shopping basket or vet coat can be enough for a first action.
What if my child mostly watches or plays alone?+
Watching, repeating and playing alongside another child are all part of free play. Not every visit has to produce one big shared story.
Experience it
Their next story starts at Playhood.
Book a session in Amsterdam Houthavens or Hilversum and let the story begin with your child.