Welcome to Cheery Lane, the new pretend play set collection from Melissa & Doug that’s designed to spark your child’s imagination, inspiring them to build worlds and tell stories from every angle!
Featuring adorable Cheeries™ play figures, vehicles, and a portable foldable format, this collection combines purposeful play and discovery, letting kids explore wherever they go. Melissa & Doug designed its Cheery Lane collection around how children as young as 2 years old naturally play. Created specifically for little hands, its thoughtful, open-access design makes every space easy to reach, removing barriers to exploration and fostering uninterrupted storytelling.
In fact, Cheery Lane is more than just a toy collection—it’s a world of interactive fun that encourages learning through play. As your child explores the neighborhood, they will be developing key developmental skills such as imagination, curiosity, confidence, fine motor skills, and social-emotional development that they’ll need now and later on in preschool and beyond.
In this blog post, the Melissa & Doug team explores some Cheery Lane themed play ideas to help get you and your little ones get started!
Play Idea #1: A Day in the Life of Cheery Lane
Play Idea: Have your child create a story about a day in Cheery Lane. They can choose a character and narrate their activities from morning to night. Who do they meet? What adventures do they have?
Skills at Play: Imagination, Creativity & Curiosity. This open-ended play encourages your child to think creatively and build their own narratives. By asking "what if?" questions, you can spark their curiosity and help them explore new possibilities in their stories.
Play Idea #2: The Cheery Lane Mail Carrier
Play Idea: Pretend to be a mail carrier delivering letters and packages to the residents of Cheery Lane. You can create simple mailboxes for each house and write letters with your child to be delivered.
Skills at Play: Communication. This activity helps children understand the basics of communication, such as sending and receiving messages. It also provides an opportunity to practice early writing and reading skills in a fun, pretend-play scenario.
Play Idea #3: The Cheery Lane Problem Solvers
Play Idea: Create a "problem" for the residents of Cheery Lane to solve. Perhaps a toy car is blocking the road, or a character can't find their favorite toy. Encourage your child to think through the problem and come up with a solution.
Skills at Play: Problem Solving. This type of play helps children develop critical thinking skills. It teaches them to identify a problem, think through possible solutions, and choose the best course of action, all within a playful and supportive environment.
Play Idea #4: Welcoming a New Neighbor
Play Idea: Introduce a new toy or character to Cheery Lane and have your child's existing characters welcome them. They can throw a welcome party, give a tour of the neighborhood, and ask the new neighbor about themselves.
Skills at Play: Empathy. This scenario encourages children to think about the feelings of others. By imagining what it's like to be new, they can practice empathy and learn how to make others feel welcome and included.
Play Idea #5: Building a Better Cheery Lane
Play Idea: Use blocks or other building toys to add to the world of Cheery Lane. Your child can build a new house, a playground, or a bridge. Encourage them to talk about their creations and why they chose to build them.
Skills at Play: Confidence. As children see their ideas take shape, they build confidence in their abilities. This type of constructive play allows them to take pride in their creations and feel a sense of accomplishment.
With our Cheery Lane collection, the possibilities for learning fun are as wide-open as these play sets. We hope these ideas inspire you and your child to create your own adventures while building valuable skills for life.
Check out these Cheery Lane Toys
Shop our Cheery Lane Collection
Cheery Lane™ Ice Cream and Pizza Play Set
Cheery Lane™ Vehicles Play Set
Cheery Lane™ Cheeries™ Play Figures
# # # # # # # # # # #
For more great toy content from Melissa & Doug, follow the links below:
Shop Melissa & Doug Toys by Age
Shop Melissa & Doug New Arrival Toys
Shop Melissa & Doug Pretend Play Toys
