Get and give curriculum ideas for your early childhood classroom
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Dramatic Play
I love to create engaging themes for my dramatic play area. Some of the themes we have explored are: house (of course), doctor's office, pet shop, restaurant, fantasy land, post office and market. Share an idea you have found here.
I love the dramatic play area, I currently work in my student’s home and we often do not enjoy the classroom settings. I absolutely love the ideas you shared in class this week and plan on starting to do more dramatic play activities in the home and at the parents comfort level. I plan on sharing this idea with my Head Start coworkers who do work in the centers because I think it’s a great idea and that children will benefit from physical learning and cognitively being able to make the connects of how every themed based area functions and offers.
This school year I have included a tea shop in my dramatic play area. It is full of summer hats, gloves, feathers crafts, pearls, men's hats, ties, and vest. Children are free to wear men's or women's clothing. They can express themselves, use conflict resolution, communicate with peers and build relationships. I enjoy it as much as they do.
In many classrooms the dramatic play area has traditionally been centered in “housekeeping”. However we could make the area more interesting every time. All the ideas that you gave us the truth I love it! Children can pretend to be anything they can imagine, and if we give them everything they need to make their imagination fly they will do it. I love the idea that children pretend to be a teacher/ educators while others can be students and take turns. Children love to pretend to be the teacher all the time so we could give them the opportunity taking the role of being a teacher and making and inventing their own work for their students. It would be a great idea! Young children learn by imagining and doing. Children experience of "walking in someone else's shoes," which helps and teach the important moral development skill of empathy. It is normal for young children to see the world from their own egocentric point of view, but through maturation and cooperative play.
Hi Johanna - I love the "teacher theme" and I also do create that special theme for the last part of the year. The kids enjoy doing calendar and picking the super star and reading a book to their kids as well using the pointer stick to count numbers, identify letters and more. Thanks for sharing! - Julie
I enjoy interacting with children in the dramatic area. We use created curriculum based on studies, and the way that I make the dramatic area more welcoming for children to play is transforming the area according to the study that we doing in the classroom. For example last year we study the “Human Body” so the dramatic area turn into a Health Clinic/Doctor office. I add bandage, shot syringes, child size arm sling, stethoscopes, doctor/nurse dress up clothes etc. Children were so engaging playing and pretending to be doctors/nurses. Transforming the dramatic area is a good way to encourage children to share their personal experiences with teachers and peers. And also is a great way to encourage families to participate donating or giving ideas in how to transform the dramatic area.
Baby bath center is my favorite. Children enjoy playing with soap, water, sponges and cloths. They also learn how to be gentle and care for babies. They learn how to wait for their turn and work with their team.
This is a great idea Monica! I have done this (a long time ago) but in the outdoor learning environment. I am glad you reminded me of this and I look forward to doing this one again! - Julie
I have done a super market in the house area. I asked parents to bring empty boxes of cereal, pop tarts, pancakes, also empty cans of different items used to cook in their homes, and anything that we find in the market. we have paper bags, shopping cart, register, and supermarket store ads. This theme connects the children with real life and is a theme that we can do for a long time.
I love the idea of community worker theme. It really shows the children the many different jobs that are out there and the many responsibilities the occupation demands. When incorporating an actual member of the community to participate and visit the classroom it gives the children the opportunity to ask questions and get real life answers from real life situations. Children get so excited and honored to have such members of the community sit down with them and give their stories. Its a great experience to get children thinking about their future and pursuing their dreams.
Yes - the theme comes to life when the children actually meet people who share their jobs with them. They do get very excited and proud to have their own family members sharing with their friends at school. Thanks, Julie
Pet Shop: It is one of the activities I like to implement, because it helps children to learn the value of caring for animals and pets we have at home. For instance; we will use are stuffed animals, cardboard boxes put together to represent cages, containers of pet food (empty of course), pet grooming items, pet toys, cash register, play money, books about pets. Children have the opportunity to take their pets to the vet for illness and check-ups- lots of interacting and make believe. Lots of love, kindness and affection to their pets at home. Likewise we introduce that can be veterinarians when they grow in the future. Where they can help take care and give their services as these small animals vet when dealing with health care. Many times at home do not learn to value pets and I think this is an opportunity where they care of them and give attention to every pet within this area "Dramatic Play" will serve in the not too distant future.
Hi Erika - this is probably one of my favorite dramatic play themes of the year. I love animals and most children do too! I hadn't thought of putting pet grooming items and pet toys in there for the kids to use. Thanks for sharing that. I am going to do that! - Julie
Post Office I love this dramatic play setting because they have envelopes, paper, pen, stamps (stickers), Mail man outfit, bag, boxes, popcorn for the package, bubble wrap, and a mailbox. Kids love the idea that they are sending mail and shipping boxes. They have a blast pretending to be the mail man a delivering mail.
Awesome! The Post Office is a great dramatic play theme. We always do this in February (fits in well with "Friendship Day" aka Valentine's Day), I hadn't thought to adding packing peanuts or bubble wrap. That's a great idea! Thanks Angelica!
The dramatic play area is one of the most important areas and it is my favorite because in this specific area children get to play, explore, engage, and pretend to be anything they can imagine. Indeed, all of the many activities I will love to implement “Pet Shop”. I believe that the pet shop will really interest children. As a matter of fact, through play and acting with their pets (stuffed animals) they will begin to value animals even more. Children will have the opportunity to take care of their pets as in real life. They can take then to them to the veterinary if they feel their pet is feeling sick, feed them, hug them, take them for a walk, and simply do anything they can imagine. It is important to have this area in dramatic play because it will be so helpful for children that through play they will begin to care more for pets because sometimes as we grow older we don’t value pets so much.
Camping will be a great theme for dramatic play; this is something that I have on my to-do list for this school year. Last year at my son's school the first day of class the whole class was transform as a camping site. There were no desks or chairs. Instead there was camping chairs in circle time and a fire place in the middle of the classroom. In the quiet area there was a tent. The kids where really excited and to be the feel so comfortable. This is something that I will like to do for this school year.
The dramatic play area is one of my favorite areas and I am sure that this is the children favorite area in the classroom too. Children learn so much from exploring and pretending to be someone else. The dramatic area does not only encourage children to use their imagination but it also promotes language, problem solving and social skills in a fun and meaningful way. Something that I have learned from this blog and comments is that there are no limits of what we can do. One can recreate and explore anything inside the classroom by using real life accessories and age appropriate materials. One of the new themes that I would like to recreate in the housekeeping area is a “garden center”. I am planning to use real planting soil and different plants. We have a garden outside our classroom that children preserve but why not gardens shop inside, where children can pretend to grow and sell plants. I can’t wait to see the result and hopefully is not too hard to create. -Beatriz M
Dramatic area is one of my favorite areas where I can be with children. I hear a lot of talking in this area. One time I set this area like a florist shop. Children enjoyed being playing and pretending selling or making flower's arrangements. Children were bringing flowers from their gardens or someone else garden. It was a great experience children enjoyed. I added baskets, vases, cards, bags, ribbons, fake flowers and real ones.
I love the dramatic area because children get to act what ever they want and they change their personalities. Before when I used to work in a center one of my co workers set up her dramatic area a "fruit shop." This is because for two week they were going to learn about fruit and vegetables. She brought items from home like real juice machines, the bottles were you out the juice, things make sand which, etc. The children looked excited they were even "Ms. Erica, I'm going to make my mom a Juice."
The theme I like to use in the dramatic play area with the children is a bakery shop or restaurant children really enjoy it and take turns being the bakers and waiters. I bring in different cake pans and cupcake pans and also encourage children to create their own menus.
I would like to try something different this year and extend the opportunities for dramatic play outdoors. We could set up tents with the help of the children and include camping equipment. There is also the possibility of extending parts the daily routine outdoors; based on children's interest. Francisca CHD 306
I would love to implement this idea and set up the Dramatic Play Area with a community worker per day or week. Also, By setting up something different when children come back from outdoors. Children love this Area and I would like to focus more in new ideas..
Dramatic play area is one of my favorites, when I worked at a head start center we used to change the dramatic house area into something related to the theme for the week, every week the “house area” transformed into something different. We had a supermarket, a bakery, a pet store, a doctor’s office, a fire station, a children’s gym, an igloo, a post office, a white house office. The children really enjoyed playing in there.
I absolutely enjoy observing students in the dramatic play area i feel that its a very important area in the classroom because it continuously is promoting development in all areas here a a few i have observed in the dramatic play area like loco-motor development, social emotional development, health and safety, language and cognitive development. I would like to have a a community workers week with firefighters, police officers, security guards, and I would provide the students with theme outfits and flash lights badges homemade box vehicles homemade box work buildings Ex.....
When I do home visits, I usually encourage families to do a dramatic play by dressing up children in their clothes and their big shoes and other things that adults wear. Parents have been encouraged that they even come up with their new ideas including music time. If I were to have a center or classroom I would decorate my room with things that we use at home so that children feel like home and have good imagination and to know what they have at home. When I was a teacher, every topic that I would share with children, we would do 3D's activities and decorated around the classroom. It was fun and interesting. Parents loved it.
Yolanda Padilla Children love to play in the Dramatic play area and I enjoy changing themes. I do add menus for restaurant, food boxes for playing store and doctor kits to play doctor and I add writing material so they can make shopping list etc. I do love the idea of creating a pet shop or vet office in that area too. This is a fun area and kids are drawn to this area and I enjoy seeing them use their imagination when they dress up and pretend.
I think that dramatic area is one of most important because here is were children are able to use all their development domains, cognitive,, social, emotional and physical. one of my favorite themes for dramatic play is beauty/ barbershop, they enjoy it.
The dramatic play area is a great place for the children to learn ! In my childcare, we create a veterinarian's office! The children absolutely love it! They bring animals over that we have around in the classroom and they express how the animals are feeling, one of the children is dressed as the "vet" and the "assistant". The children absolutely love it!
There are so many great ideas for dramatic play. One of my favorites is adding pretend money for the children to use when they pay for their groceries. I love watching them as they count their dollar bills and pay for what they bought at the store or restaurant. I also like to add little baskets where they can put their groceries in. Another one of my favorites is to add boxes in the drama center. It is amazing what games children come up with when they have boxes available.
I have noticed that children really enjoy to have costumes of community helpers in the drama center. It is fun to watch them as they dress up and pretend to be a cop, Doctor, or a Firefighter.
I think that dramatic play introduces a more broadening way of thinking and often times it gives many children an early sense of what profession they may choose later in life. Although there is a small percentage of children who actually turn out to be what they dream of in especially challenging fields, or it could be to decision making and circumstances that prevent that. I like the idea of running a store where children can learn mathematics, reading, and also writing. Another one of my favorites is where children get to dress up as the profession of their choice and act as if they are that particular professional for that day. There can be several activities that go along with this by having children present themselves before the class and telling what they think the job consist of and why they would like to be in that profession.
I love dramatic play! I often change the area monthly for my children to further their imagination skills. One fun change to do if you have a little animal lover is a pretend pet shop. All I do is Gather stuffed animals from around the house to act as the furry occupants of the shop. You can also provide the children with feeding and grooming supplies placing them in a caretaker role. I allow the children to work with me to create signs with prices for the animals. Doing this will promote math and literacy. Once we have set up the shop, the fun, communication and interaction will begin.
I like dramatic play, I often switch the stuffs and put different toys so the children wouldn't get bored. Every month I add new items, such as stuff animals, babies, plates, cups, foods, and dress up clothes to enhance children interest to use their imaginations. I let the children create sign with me for store, restaurant and pet shop. children love to go around the room with little shopping cart pretend that they are shopping, especially with pretend money in their hand. They have a lot of fun doing pretend shopping with their friends. They learn how to count money, this is math skill and they learn how to socialize with friends.
Dramatic play is one of my favorite, children love to dress up, so I collected girls and boys clothes, hats, purses, bags, scarfs, glasses, different kinds of shoes, and I added some other accessories like jewelry and watches. I turned the dramatic play to a boutique, children love it.
I like the idea of creating an aquarium in the dramatic play area. It is a general understanding that all kids love sea animals. With a lot of creativity, we can create a sea shell station so the children can learn about different types of sea shells. On the shelf we can add different bowls with small, medium, and big fish. Another thing that we can include is an aquarium mural build with all the children’s work. Also we can include a section with cleaning supplies that include a thermometer, hose, buckets, pipettes, test tubes, goggles, fish net, and empty bottles to allow the kids to clean the tanks. There can also be an exhibit section by placing a specific type of fish per tank, the children can help with their creativity by creating the environment in each tank. We can place a picture of the types of fish in every tank and posters around the classroom. The children can learn about sciences and math from this activity, for example counting, colors, sizes, living things, food chain, and measurement. All this learning can be acquired through playing. What the children learn in the classroom can be applied in a field trip to a local aquarium. They can identify the fish, and understand their environment.
There will always be a "House" dramatic play in my classroom, depending on the theme that we are teaching at the moment, I will incorporate it into the house dramatic play. For example if the them of the week is "under the ocean" I will either place items to make it an aquarium dramatic play or fish hats to play pretend they are a fish family in a house.
Dramatic play is awesome! Children learn so much in this area. They learn language and literacy, feelings of others and their own, as well as communication skills and so much more. One theme that I have tried in the dramatic area was setting up a fast food like McDonald’s or Burger King. This was amazing and children loved it. I often heard children imitating what they heard their parents order and then the child that was taking the order would imitate the worker on the other side of the intercom. I also grabbed a couple happy meal boxes, juice boxes, fry holders, etc., for them to incorporate into their play. Children loved this idea. Another theme that I really like and would love to try is an ice cream shop. Children also enjoy these places too. They love being able to make their own combination of flavors for their ice cream and different kinds of toppings, on very hot days I would probably let the children make real ice cream and snow cones with the help of an adult. I also love adding the seasons into the dramatic play area. With the change of the season, the props and other materials change to include anything that represents the current season.
Hello, Dramatic play area is my favorite! I love it when the children play house and I sat there listening to their conversations. In my dramatic play we always have a theme. The curriculum for our Pre-K class changes every two weeks. This weeks theme is Beach so we put up a sun and the children pretend to have a grill. Are last weeks theme was Science so we put lab coats and googles in the dramatic play area. We really try to follow are theme with the curriculum its a little changeling but we make it work.
The dramatic play is an important ways the children can be themselves discovering their likes and dislikes. Pretending is a fun way that they can enjoy being a doctor, a nurse, a firefighters, or a family. We can mention many carriers that they want to be when they grow up or dreaming about. Their decisions may have inspired by their parents or from their practitioners. Pretending is a good way to release frustrations from their parents or from somebody who is bothering them.
This can help children for their future life by releasing fears for some new event or transition. Children learn to negotiate and interact with other children in that way they can be happier in their life.
Camping will be agreat theme for dramatic play, this is something that I have on my to-do list for this school year.
ReplyDeleteThis is Fabiola Manriquez, can't change my loggin info.
DeleteHi Fabby - we can try to look at your login on Tuesday. This week's post should be on the "My Family" blog (not dramatic play).
Delete- Julie
I love the dramatic play area, I currently work in my student’s home and we often do not enjoy the classroom settings. I absolutely love the ideas you shared in class this week and plan on starting to do more dramatic play activities in the home and at the parents comfort level. I plan on sharing this idea with my Head Start coworkers who do work in the centers because I think it’s a great idea and that children will benefit from physical learning and cognitively being able to make the connects of how every themed based area functions and offers.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sylvia. I love that you got inspired from creating "dramatic play themes." Let me know how it goes!
Delete- Julie
This school year I have included a tea shop in my dramatic play area. It is full of summer hats, gloves, feathers crafts, pearls, men's hats, ties, and vest. Children are free to wear men's or women's clothing. They can express themselves, use conflict resolution, communicate with peers and build relationships. I enjoy it as much as they do.
ReplyDeleteWhat great materials you have added to the dramatic play area. Children love to wear gloves, hats and so much more!
DeleteThanks for sharing!
- Julie
In many classrooms the dramatic play area has traditionally been centered in “housekeeping”. However we could make the area more interesting every time. All the ideas that you gave us the truth I love it! Children can pretend to be anything they can imagine, and if we give them everything they need to make their imagination fly they will do it. I love the idea that children pretend to be a teacher/ educators while others can be students and take turns. Children love to pretend to be the teacher all the time so we could give them the opportunity taking the role of being a teacher and making and inventing their own work for their students. It would be a great idea! Young children learn by imagining and doing. Children experience of "walking in someone else's shoes," which helps and teach the important moral development skill of empathy. It is normal for young children to see the world from their own egocentric point of view, but through maturation and cooperative play.
ReplyDeleteJohanna Torres
Hi Johanna - I love the "teacher theme" and I also do create that special theme for the last part of the year. The kids enjoy doing calendar and picking the super star and reading a book to their kids as well using the pointer stick to count numbers, identify letters and more.
DeleteThanks for sharing!
- Julie
I enjoy interacting with children in the dramatic area. We use created curriculum based on studies, and the way that I make the dramatic area more welcoming for children to play is transforming the area according to the study that we doing in the classroom. For example last year we study the “Human Body” so the dramatic area turn into a Health Clinic/Doctor office. I add bandage, shot syringes, child size arm sling, stethoscopes, doctor/nurse dress up clothes etc. Children were so engaging playing and pretending to be doctors/nurses. Transforming the dramatic area is a good way to encourage children to share their personal experiences with teachers and peers. And also is a great way to encourage families to participate donating or giving ideas in how to transform the dramatic area.
ReplyDeleteThis is by far the favorite dramatic play theme that my kids choose every year. There is so much interaction in this play theme!
Delete- Julie
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBaby bath center is my favorite. Children enjoy playing with soap, water, sponges and cloths. They also learn how to be gentle and care for babies. They learn how to wait for their turn and work with their team.
ReplyDeletehttp://sproutsofiman.blogspot.com/2013/05/baby-bath.html
This is a great idea Monica! I have done this (a long time ago) but in the outdoor learning environment. I am glad you reminded me of this and I look forward to doing this one again!
Delete- Julie
I have done a super market in the house area. I asked parents to bring empty boxes of cereal, pop tarts, pancakes, also empty cans of different items used to cook in their homes, and anything that we find in the market. we have paper bags, shopping cart, register, and supermarket store ads. This theme connects the children with real life and is a theme that we can do for a long time.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great theme Ana! Kids love to play Super Market!
DeleteThanks for sharing!
I love the idea of community worker theme. It really shows the children the many different jobs that are out there and the many responsibilities the occupation demands. When incorporating an actual member of the community to participate and visit the classroom it gives the children the opportunity to ask questions and get real life answers from real life situations. Children get so excited and honored to have such members of the community sit down with them and give their stories. Its a great experience to get children thinking about their future and pursuing their dreams.
ReplyDeleteYes - the theme comes to life when the children actually meet people who share their jobs with them. They do get very excited and proud to have their own family members sharing with their friends at school.
DeleteThanks,
Julie
Pet Shop:
ReplyDeleteIt is one of the activities I like to implement, because it helps children to learn the value of caring for animals and pets we have at home. For instance; we will use are stuffed animals, cardboard boxes put together to represent cages, containers of pet food (empty of course), pet grooming items, pet toys, cash register, play money, books about pets.
Children have the opportunity to take their pets to the vet for illness and check-ups- lots of interacting and make believe. Lots of love, kindness and affection to their pets at home.
Likewise we introduce that can be veterinarians when they grow in the future. Where they can help take care and give their services as these small animals vet when dealing with health care. Many times at home do not learn to value pets and I think this is an opportunity where they care of them and give attention to every pet within this area "Dramatic Play" will serve in the not too distant future.
Hi Erika - this is probably one of my favorite dramatic play themes of the year. I love animals and most children do too! I hadn't thought of putting pet grooming items and pet toys in there for the kids to use. Thanks for sharing that. I am going to do that!
Delete- Julie
Hi Julie-What a wonderful way of communicating various thoights and ideas on dramatic play experiences for children!
ReplyDeletePost Office I love this dramatic play setting because they have envelopes, paper, pen, stamps (stickers), Mail man outfit, bag, boxes, popcorn for the package, bubble wrap, and a mailbox. Kids love the idea that they are sending mail and shipping boxes. They have a blast pretending to be the mail man a delivering mail.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! The Post Office is a great dramatic play theme. We always do this in February (fits in well with "Friendship Day" aka Valentine's Day), I hadn't thought to adding packing peanuts or bubble wrap. That's a great idea!
ReplyDeleteThanks Angelica!
The dramatic play area is one of the most important areas and it is my favorite because in this specific area children get to play, explore, engage, and pretend to be anything they can imagine. Indeed, all of the many activities I will love to implement “Pet Shop”. I believe that the pet shop will really interest children. As a matter of fact, through play and acting with their pets (stuffed animals) they will begin to value animals even more. Children will have the opportunity to take care of their pets as in real life. They can take then to them to the veterinary if they feel their pet is feeling sick, feed them, hug them, take them for a walk, and simply do anything they can imagine. It is important to have this area in dramatic play because it will be so helpful for children that through play they will begin to care more for pets because sometimes as we grow older we don’t value pets so much.
ReplyDeleteCamping will be a great theme for dramatic play; this is something that I have on my to-do list for this school year. Last year at my son's school the first day of class the whole class was transform as a camping site. There were no desks or chairs. Instead there was camping chairs in circle time and a fire place in the middle of the classroom. In the quiet area there was a tent. The kids where really excited and to be the feel so comfortable. This is something that I will like to do for this school year.
ReplyDeleteThe dramatic play area is one of my favorite areas and I am sure that this is the children favorite area in the classroom too. Children learn so much from exploring and pretending to be someone else. The dramatic area does not only encourage children to use their imagination but it also promotes language, problem solving and social skills in a fun and meaningful way. Something that I have learned from this blog and comments is that there are no limits of what we can do. One can recreate and explore anything inside the classroom by using real life accessories and age appropriate materials. One of the new themes that I would like to recreate in the housekeeping area is a “garden center”. I am planning to use real planting soil and different plants. We have a garden outside our classroom that children preserve but why not gardens shop inside, where children can pretend to grow and sell plants. I can’t wait to see the result and hopefully is not too hard to create.
ReplyDelete-Beatriz M
Dramatic area is one of my favorite areas where I can be with children. I hear a lot of talking in this area. One time I set this area like a florist shop. Children enjoyed being playing and pretending selling or making flower's arrangements. Children were bringing flowers from their gardens or someone else garden. It was a great experience children enjoyed. I added baskets, vases, cards, bags, ribbons, fake flowers and real ones.
ReplyDeleteI love the dramatic area because children get to act what ever they want and they change their personalities. Before when I used to work in a center one of my co workers set up her dramatic area a "fruit shop." This is because for two week they were going to learn about fruit and vegetables. She brought items from home like real juice machines, the bottles were you out the juice, things make sand which, etc. The children looked excited they were even "Ms. Erica, I'm going to make my mom a Juice."
ReplyDeleteThe theme I like to use in the dramatic play area with the children is a bakery shop or restaurant children really enjoy it and take turns being the bakers and waiters. I bring in different cake pans and cupcake pans and also encourage children to create their own menus.
ReplyDeleteI would like to try something different this year and extend the opportunities for dramatic play outdoors. We could set up tents with the help of the children and include camping equipment. There is also the possibility of extending parts the daily routine outdoors; based on children's interest.
ReplyDeleteFrancisca CHD 306
I would love to implement this idea and set up the Dramatic Play Area with a community worker per day or week. Also, By setting up something different when children come back from outdoors. Children love this Area and I would like to focus more in new ideas..
ReplyDeleteSamantha Rivero CHD 306 2015
DeleteDramatic play area is one of my favorites, when I worked at a head start center we used to change the dramatic house area into something related to the theme for the week, every week the “house area” transformed into something different. We had a supermarket, a bakery, a pet store, a doctor’s office, a fire station, a children’s gym, an igloo, a post office, a white house office. The children really enjoyed playing in there.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely enjoy observing students in the dramatic play area i feel that its a very important area in the classroom because it continuously is promoting development in all areas here a a few i have observed in the dramatic play area like loco-motor development, social emotional development, health and safety, language and cognitive development. I would like to have a a community workers week with firefighters, police officers, security guards, and I would provide the students with theme outfits and flash lights badges homemade box vehicles homemade box work buildings Ex.....
ReplyDeleteWhen I do home visits, I usually encourage families to do a dramatic play by dressing up children in their clothes and their big shoes and other things that adults wear. Parents have been encouraged that they even come up with their new ideas including music time. If I were to have a center or classroom I would decorate my room with things that we use at home so that children feel like home and have good imagination and to know what they have at home. When I was a teacher, every topic that I would share with children, we would do 3D's activities and decorated around the classroom. It was fun and interesting. Parents loved it.
ReplyDeleteYolanda Padilla
ReplyDeleteChildren love to play in the Dramatic play area and I enjoy changing themes. I do add menus for restaurant, food boxes for playing store and doctor kits to play doctor
and I add writing material so they can make shopping list etc. I do love the idea of creating a pet shop or vet office in that area too. This is a fun area and kids are drawn to this area and I enjoy seeing them use their imagination when they dress up and pretend.
I think that dramatic area is one of most important because here is were children are able to use all their development domains, cognitive,, social, emotional and physical.
ReplyDeleteone of my favorite themes for dramatic play is beauty/ barbershop, they enjoy it.
The dramatic play area is a great place for the children to learn ! In my childcare, we create a veterinarian's office! The children absolutely love it! They bring animals over that we have around in the classroom and they express how the animals are feeling, one of the children is dressed as the "vet" and the "assistant". The children absolutely love it!
ReplyDeleteThere are so many great ideas for dramatic play. One of my favorites is adding pretend money for the children to use when they pay for their groceries. I love watching them as they count their dollar bills and pay for what they bought at the store or restaurant. I also like to add little baskets where they can put their groceries in. Another one of my favorites is to add boxes in the drama center. It is amazing what games children come up with when they have boxes available.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed that children really enjoy to have costumes of community helpers in the drama center. It is fun to watch them as they dress up and pretend to be a cop, Doctor, or a Firefighter.
ReplyDeleteI think that dramatic play introduces a more broadening way of thinking and often times it gives many children an early sense of what profession they may choose later in life. Although there is a small percentage of children who actually turn out to be what they dream of in especially challenging fields, or it could be to decision making and circumstances that prevent that. I like the idea of running a store where children can learn mathematics, reading, and also writing. Another one of my favorites is where children get to dress up as the profession of their choice and act as if they are that particular professional for that day. There can be several activities that go along with this by having children present themselves before the class and telling what they think the job consist of and why they would like to be in that profession.
ReplyDeleteI love dramatic play! I often change the area monthly for my children to further their imagination skills. One fun change to do if you have a little animal lover is a pretend pet shop. All I do is Gather stuffed animals from around the house to act as the furry occupants of the shop. You can also provide the children with feeding and grooming supplies placing them in a caretaker role. I allow the children to work with me to create signs with prices for the animals. Doing this will promote math and literacy. Once we have set up the shop, the fun, communication and interaction will begin.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI like dramatic play, I often switch the stuffs and put different toys so the children wouldn't get bored. Every month I add new items, such as stuff animals, babies, plates, cups, foods, and dress up clothes to enhance children interest to use their imaginations. I let the children create sign with me for store, restaurant and pet shop. children love to go around the room with little shopping cart pretend that they are shopping, especially with pretend money in their hand. They have a lot of fun doing pretend shopping with their friends. They learn how to count money, this is math skill and they learn how to socialize with friends.
ReplyDeleteDramatic play is one of my favorite, children love to dress up, so I collected girls and boys clothes, hats, purses, bags, scarfs, glasses, different kinds of shoes, and I added some other accessories like jewelry and watches. I turned the dramatic play to a boutique, children love it.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of creating an aquarium in the dramatic play area. It is a general understanding that all kids love sea animals. With a lot of creativity, we can create a sea shell station so the children can learn about different types of sea shells. On the shelf we can add different bowls with small, medium, and big fish. Another thing that we can include is an aquarium mural build with all the children’s work. Also we can include a section with cleaning supplies that include a thermometer, hose, buckets, pipettes, test tubes, goggles, fish net, and empty bottles to allow the kids to clean the tanks. There can also be an exhibit section by placing a specific type of fish per tank, the children can help with their creativity by creating the environment in each tank. We can place a picture of the types of fish in every tank and posters around the classroom. The children can learn about sciences and math from this activity, for example counting, colors, sizes, living things, food chain, and measurement. All this learning can be acquired through playing.
ReplyDeleteWhat the children learn in the classroom can be applied in a field trip to a local aquarium. They can identify the fish, and understand their environment.
I love dramatic play. Children have so much fun playing in the kitchen and pretending they make a meal.
ReplyDeletewe like to play to be a doctor and to have all the tools that the doctor and nurses uses.
we even have briefcase where they put all the tools and carry the medical history from every kid (that we invented)
There will always be a "House" dramatic play in my classroom, depending on the theme that we are teaching at the moment, I will incorporate it into the house dramatic play. For example if the them of the week is "under the ocean" I will either place items to make it an aquarium dramatic play or fish hats to play pretend they are a fish family in a house.
ReplyDeleteDramatic play is awesome! Children learn so much in this area. They learn language and literacy, feelings of others and their own, as well as communication skills and so much more.
ReplyDeleteOne theme that I have tried in the dramatic area was setting up a fast food like McDonald’s or Burger King. This was amazing and children loved it. I often heard children imitating what they heard their parents order and then the child that was taking the order would imitate the worker on the other side of the intercom. I also grabbed a couple happy meal boxes, juice boxes, fry holders, etc., for them to incorporate into their play. Children loved this idea.
Another theme that I really like and would love to try is an ice cream shop. Children also enjoy these places too. They love being able to make their own combination of flavors for their ice cream and different kinds of toppings, on very hot days I would probably let the children make real ice cream and snow cones with the help of an adult.
I also love adding the seasons into the dramatic play area. With the change of the season, the props and other materials change to include anything that represents the current season.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteDramatic play area is my favorite! I love it when the children play house and I sat there listening to their conversations. In my dramatic play we always have a theme. The curriculum for our Pre-K class changes every two weeks. This weeks theme is Beach so we put up a sun and the children pretend to have a grill. Are last weeks theme was Science so we put lab coats and googles in the dramatic play area. We really try to follow are theme with the curriculum its a little changeling but we make it work.
Dramatic Play
ReplyDeleteThe dramatic play is an important ways the children can be themselves discovering their likes and dislikes. Pretending is a fun way that they can enjoy being a doctor, a nurse, a firefighters, or a family. We can mention many carriers that they want to be when they grow up or dreaming about. Their decisions may have inspired by their parents or from their practitioners. Pretending is a good way to release frustrations from their parents or from somebody who is bothering them.
This can help children for their future life by releasing fears for some new event or transition. Children learn to negotiate and interact with other children in that way they can be happier in their life.
http://www.brighthorizons.com/family-resources/e-family-news/2013-importance-of-pretend-play-in-child-development/