Tonight with your 5 to 8 year old
The prompt
“If you hosted your own pretend cooking show tonight, what would you cook and what would you call the show?”
What to listen for
A confident, elaborate answer with a made-up show name shows a kid who enjoys being the center of attention in a fun, low-stakes way, a great sign of comfort performing and being watched by people who love them.
If the food they cook is something real and comforting rather than wild and imaginary, it might reflect what currently feels good and grounding to them, even inside pretend play.
If they're shy about hosting, offer to be their sidekick or first guest, sometimes having a co-star makes the spotlight feel safer.
What this tells you
How comfortable they are taking center stage tonight shows how safe they feel being seen and admired by the people closest to them.