Café Order Pad

What you need

• a small notepad, or a few sheets of paper folded in half
• a crayon
• play food, or a few real packets from the cupboard
• plates and cups
• two or three soft toys as customers
• a low table and chairs

How to do it

1. Set up a low table and chairs as the café, with the plates, cups and play food on a shelf nearby as the kitchen.
2. Sit the soft toys in the chairs, sit down with them, and ask the waiter what is on the menu.
3. Let your child take your order on the notepad with the crayon. Any squiggle counts as writing it down.
4. Ask them to read your order back, bring it over, and then swap so you are the waiter.

Why it matters

Taking an order turns marks on a page into something that stands for words, and running the café gives them a real part to play from start to finish.

What they're learning

Marks that mean words

Squiggles on an order pad stand for what the customer asked for.

Playing a role

Being the waiter means talking and acting like one, from hello to the bill.

Remembering an order

Carrying the order from the table to the kitchen keeps it in mind.

What to look for

Notice them pointing at their marks as they read your order back to you.

A tip

Order something short and silly, like two pancakes and a banana, so the order is easy to hold in mind.

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