Act like you are newly employed 25-year-old
Pretend to be a newly employed 25-year-old: make a mini desk, design a name badge, and practice polite introductions and simple work routines.
About this activity
Pretend to be a newly employed 25-year-old: make a mini desk, design a name badge, and practice polite introductions and simple work routines.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Gather all the materials listed and bring them to a clear table or floor space.
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Step 2
Choose a flat piece of cardboard or the shoebox lid to be your mini desktop and place it where you will work.
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Step 3
Tape two small boxes underneath the desktop to make sturdy legs so the desktop can stand.
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Step 4
Decorate the desktop using colouring materials and sticky notes to make it look like your new office.
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Step 5
Cut a rectangle from paper or an index card to make a name badge.
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Step 6
Write the name you want to use as a newly employed 25 year old and a short job title on the badge.
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Step 7
Draw or color fun designs on the badge to make it look professional and personal.
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Step 8
Attach string or a safety pin to the badge so you can wear it during your role play.
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Step 9
Arrange your mini desk with the badge a pencil and three sticky notes as your workspace tools.
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Step 10
Stand by your desk and say a polite introduction out loud three times using your new name and job title.
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Step 11
Write three simple work tasks on the sticky notes such as check mail organize papers and greet a coworker.
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Step 12
Act out doing the first sticky note task for one full minute to practice a simple work routine.
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Step 13
Share a photo or description of your mini desk name badge and role play on DIY.org.
Fun facts
How do I set up a pretend 'newly employed 25-year-old' role-play with a mini desk and name badge?
Create a small play office: use a shoebox or piece of cardboard for a mini desk and a small box or folded paper for a chair. Help your child design a paper name badge, add stickers and a drawn logo. Practice polite introductions (“Hi, I’m…nice to meet you”), a morning routine (check calendar, pretend email, make a drink) and simple tasks like sorting papers. Take turns being customer or coworker and finish with a short reflection.
What materials do I need to make the mini desk and name badge for this activity?
Gather a shoebox or sturdy cardboard, scissors, glue or tape, markers, construction paper, stickers, paperclips and sticky notes. Add cloth scraps for a cushion, a small cup for supplies, and string or a lanyard to wear the badge. Optional items: a ruler, old business cards, a toy phone or keyboard. Use safety scissors for young children and supervise small parts or hot-glue use.
What ages is this newly employed role-play activity suitable for?
This activity fits ages about 3–10 with adjustments: toddlers (3–4) enjoy simpler props and adult-led introductions; preschoolers (4–6) can craft a basic badge and follow short routines; school-age kids (7–10) can design more detailed desks, write scripts and practice polite workplace phrases. Supervise scissors and small items for younger children and add complexity for older kids, like timed tasks or mock meetings.
What are the benefits of pretending to be a newly employed 25-year-old, and how can I keep it safe?
Pretend play builds social skills, vocabulary, empathy, planning, and fine motor control while boosting confidence. It helps children practice polite introductions, routines and responsibility in a low-stakes way. For safety, use non-toxic materials, child-safe scissors, avoid small choking hazards for young kids, and don’t share real personal data. Vary the activity by trying different jobs (teacher, baker, remote worker) to expand learning and fun.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can we use instead of a shoebox lid, small boxes, or string/safety pin if we don't have them?
Use a sturdy cereal box panel or flattened book cover as the mini desktop, fold and tape cardboard scraps or stack two small containers for the legs where you would tape two small boxes underneath the desktop, and swap the string or safety pin on the name badge for a paperclip loop or a short strip of tape.
My desktop keeps wobbling and the sticky notes fall off—how do we fix that?
If the desktop wobbles when you tape two small boxes underneath the desktop, reinforce the legs with extra tape or glue and use wider boxes, and if the sticky notes don't stick well press them down firmly or add a small piece of tape to hold them to the mini desk.
How can I change this activity for younger kids or older kids?
For younger children, pre-cut the name badge, write or draw the three simple work tasks on sticky notes for them and shorten the role play to 20–30 seconds, while older kids can design a detailed badge, add mini office props from recycled materials, and expand the routine to one-minute timed tasks and a scripted introduction to practice the 'stand by your desk and say a polite introduction out loud three times' step.
How can we improve or personalize the mini desk project?
Personalize the desktop by adding a company logo with sticky notes or washi tape, create a mini computer or phone from folded cardboard, write a daily schedule on extra sticky notes next to the pencil and three sticky notes workspace, and take the photo to share on DIY.org as the final step.