If We Were Dogs

Two friends imagine what kind of dogs they'd be — one dreams up being a big dog, the other little — as their game of pretend becomes a way of working out who gets to decide what happens next.

For the kid who's always negotiating the rules of the game, this is the friendship moment where someone finally says what they really want to be.

• Big idea: Speaking up for your own idea matters just as much as playing along with someone else's.
• Vibes: Playful, barky, a little scrappy — imaginative play with real feelings underneath.

• love pretend play and making up games
• are working on speaking up with their own ideas
• like to act out animal sounds and movements
• are learning about sharing control in a friendship

• Imagination: If you were a dog, what kind would you be — big, little, or something else?
• Story & problem-solving: What happens when the two friends don't agree on what kind of dog to be?
• Feelings & empathy: How do you think it feels when someone doesn't listen to your idea during a game?
• Real-life connection: Have you ever played pretend with a friend and wanted to be in charge of the story?
• Imagination: What other animal would you want to pretend to be with a friend?