Dramatic play allows children to assign and accept roles and act them out. It’s pretending to be someone or something else. Sometimes they take on real world roles of someone they know and other times they take on fantasy roles, such as a super hero. It is important to encourage all children to engage in dramatic play. Here’s some ideas for your classroom:
- Provide a dress-up area with clothes, hats, props, pretend food, shopping carts, arranging play scenes such as a grocery store, hair salon, restaurant, doctor’s office, etc.
- Observe carefully and ask questions such as “What will happen if the baby gets sick?”
- Add new props to expand play and encourage new challenges.
- Have a theme for an area, such as grocery store, pizza restaurant and change it out each month. Use the theme throughout the classroom with all activities.
- Flower Shop
- Bakery
- Pirate Ship
- Home Supply
- Fire Station
- Nursery
- Library
- Post Office
- Vet Clinic
- Ice Cream Parlor
- Space Center
- Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, India or any other Restaurant
- Apple Orchard
- Pumpkin Patch
- Garden
There are many ways to create an area for dramatic play. Check with your local grocery store or retail to see if they have items from their displays that they would donate. Change out activities from time to time to challenge the children in their creativity.
Dramatic play can be very empowering to children.
To learn more about dramatic play visit http://articles.extension.org/pages/25723/dramatic-play-in-child-care
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