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11-10-00FORT MAKING MADE EASY: Need long pieces of material, bungee cord, clothespins, white cup hooks (with long screw end) Section off one corner of the ceiling where you want your fort, screw cup hooks every foot along two sides of the square. Attach bungee cording through the cup hooks. Use clothespins to hang material and let drape down to the floor. Makes a great fort and can be taken down and put away easily or can be pinned up to get out of the way. (I used white twin sized sheets and they worked out great...no sewing or fraying...then sponge painted them with animals and designs to match room.)
11-5-00Dramatic Play area as a Library. Make library cards for each child, have plenty of books available. Have a check out area, book bags, carpet squares anything else that would compliment the area such a sign, opening and closing hours.
10-7-00This week the children and I turned our dramatic play area into a beauty salon. I wrote a letter to all the parents asking for permission to paint their children's nails and to send labeled combs, brushed, and hair supplies to school. Almost all the parents sent their children to school with something to add to the beauty salon. The children love getting their faces painted and their nails, even the boys! The children and I named the beauty salon and made a sign. We also placed a phone, cash register, and pads of paper in the beauty salon. We are having so much fun!
10-6-00Since we have many videos in our home along with video games we decided to turn our area into a video rental store. We visited a local store and asked to borrow some of the hard plastic covers that use to send the tapes home in. They also gave us some movie posters to hang up. We made membership cards out of index cards. The kids used a hole punch for a "special promotion" for every $3.00 you spent you got a punch on a card. We had empty popcorn tubs to sell and some empty soda bottles to sell as well. We had video games to rent and when the kids wanted to play a game they had to "rent" the game and were only allowed to keep it for 15 minutes of play time. we used an older computer for the register. The kids rated their favorite movies and had them on display. They had to have the movies is some sort of order (i.e. mystery, kids or by alphabet of movie) We had play money, checks, credit cards. We also had accounts incase the kids forgot their money.
9-26-00Turn your dramatic play area into a stage. Set out instruments and costumes. Make microphones out of toilet paper rolls and black tape. Let children make masks out of paper plates to perform their version of a familiar story. Set the book out for the children to refer back to. The children really get into their characters!!!
7-30-00We often set up 2 of our rooms, one to look like a house, with beds, tables and chairs and kitchen stuff (stoves, shelves, refrigerators, pots and pans) and the other to be a town, with a library (books, reading mat, check out desk with cards to put in books), a grocery store (carts, food, cash register) a mechanic (tools, a bench to put the car on), and a doctors office (a table with tissue paper, Dr kit, rubber gloves, a reception area with magazines, phone, med cards). The kids use the little tyke red car to "drive" into "town" and do their errands, while some of the kids "work" and others do their "chores" at home...every 10 min or so we let the kids switch so they get to do different roles.
6-16-00Our Dramatic Play is a doctors office. We use our beds for nap time as the doctors bed. I put a stethoscope, Band-Aids, toy needles, blankets, and Popsicle sticks in it. I put my old computer keyboard in it at a table for the nurse. I put an apron in it for the doctor. I also bought a fisher price doctors kit to put in it too. I put old bell phone cards in it for the children can use as health cards when they come in. The children just love this idea.
6-9-00I just turned our dramatic play into a hair salon. The children give each other pretend haircuts. I put rollers, hair clips, elastics and other hair accessories in it. I put empty shampoo bottles and hairspray bottles in it. I also put up some different hairstyles out of magazines on the wall. For capes for the children to put on, I bought some men's dress shirts from the local thrift store. It's called Kids' Only Hair Salon and I posted it on the wall with some pretend prices. I just knew the children would love it. It's a really cute idea for the children.
5-31-00I've just changed my Dramatic Play to a restaurant. I made menus to put in it. I made them by writing food and prices on a piece of paper and laminating them. I put tables, chairs, silverware, plates and napkins at the table. There is also a fisher price kitchen on it. I put monopoly money in it. The children love it.
4-15-00Beach Prop Box- I used a small durable plastic cooler, inside it I put, two beach towels, two or more size 10-14 children's swim suits, an empty sun-screen bottle, sun glasses, a bright colored hat (it is a good idea to do a head lice check daily, if hats are used), two or more empty plastic soda bottles (glue lids on for younger age children), & sand toys. The children in my class played with this both indoors and outdoors in the sand box. If you are really creative, and not afraid of sweeping up sand, you can place a small wading pool filled with sand inside your classroom. Place it on a plastic shower curtain to make clean up easier.
ideaWe turned our housekeeping area into a florist, we asked parents to donate old silk flowers, plastic vases, ribbon pieces, and of course an old cash register with play money, the kids just loved it!
Date: 3-28-00My students love to visit fast food restaurants. We turned our house area into a McDonald's. We went to our local franchise and they were kind enough to give us some wrappers, boxes, cups and bags. A parent donated some aprons and hats. We used waffle foam mattress material that had been discarded to cut into strips to make "fries". We made hamburgers, pickles, onions, and all the other toppings from felt and fun foam and enhanced them with markers so they looked like the real thing. We made menus, used play money and the children took orders on scrap paper. This incorporated so many skills: math, language, cooperative play, dramatic play, classification, etc. It was a real hit! We boxed up all the props and shared them with other classes as well and they added their props when they were finished.
2-17-00Last summer we used a thick piece of plywood on top of our large blocks (for support) and created a stage. we used long, plastic table cloths hanging from the ceiling for curtains. our backdrop was a beach scene painted on large white paper and stapled to the wall. we bought our costumes at a local drug store that was going out of business, but stores often have Halloween costumes on sale just after the holiday, or ask your parents to donate any old costumes they may have! The children would act out a story we had just read or create their own drama and perform for the school. It was great fun!
Date: 2-7-00For mechanics corner we add a real motorbike engine. This is thoroughly cleaned and all nuts tightened. With spark plugs and carburetor leads attached the children enjoy pretending they are fixing it. Provide overalls and peak caps. Also collect as many spare parts (safety first) as possible from a local mechanic. Real tools are great for hands on with their silhouettes drawn on vinyl to ensure they are put away properly. If the engine is placed on a good size plastic lid it is easily pushed around the floor by an adult when no longer required for the day.
Date: 2-7-00For an under the ocean theme use a large appliance box. Turn this on its' side to aide the making of a submarine. Cardboard sheets with small boxes, tubes and plastic lids attached creates an onboard computer area. Add flippers, snorkels, wet suits also. An octopus made from old stockings can sit in the area guarding a treasure chest or holding books to share with the children about the ocean.
Date: 1-19-00Turn your dramatic play area into a car wash. Use cardboard boxes with the bottom cut out and three of the top flaps cut off, use Popsicle sticks to hold up the front flap (windshield). Cut out handles on the side for the children to hold their car up as they "drive" thru. Let the children paint them a few days before you open the car wash. Hang streamers (the plastic ones work best) from the ceiling, supply your car wash with buckets, sponges, towels, spray bottles, squeegees, and even a cash register with play money if you'd like. ENJOY! Date: 1-7-00Medical Supply Stores provide a wealth of materials for a hospital dramatic play center. Purchase caps, face masks, bandages, gowns, shoe covers, and other real materials for very little expense. Incorporate toy medical bags and nursing tools. Make an X-Ray from a shirt box and black paper. Hang it on the wall along with an eye chart. Date: 12-11-99December is a great time to set up a gift wrapping/ dollar store. I send home a note asking parents to send in last year's left over wrapping paper, bows, boxes and ribbons. We set up a dollar store with items I will be donating to needy families. The children pretend to go shopping to buy items for families that are in need. They pay the cashier and take their purchases to the gift wrapping center where the kids wrap the gifts. They then give the gift to another child to open just for fun. On the last day before break, we wrap the gifts one last time and turn them over to our school's "helping hands" organization. Kids love wrapping, giving and receiving the gifts. ideaTurn your dramatic play center into a castle. Cut one side off a large appliance box (refrigerator size) open to stand. Then cut top to resemble a castle. You can cut windows and doors too. Provide the children with old formal dresses and suits to dress up. They can also make crowns and "jewels" with plastic beads, sequins and construction paper. We use this center during October and the kids love it! Date: 9-29-99ideaWe have used this idea with our class and they love it! Provide the children with large and small blocks, play tools, tool belts and hard hats. Make some signs i.e. "kids at work" or "danger construction zone" and the kids have a great construction zone dramatic play. Date: 9-12-99
Date: 7-12-99Our learning center studies a different letter each week. So the week that we studied the letter "G" we combined our Homeliving & Blocks center to make a "G"rocery store! It was complete with boxes(stuffed with newspaper & taped shut) bottles, cans(edges duct taped)empty hair spray & elmer's glue bottles, paper grocery sacks,play money, scanner(masking tape in the shape of an x)& name tags for the grocery store workers. We even borrowed some hand held shopping baskets from a local thrift store to complete the experience. Try it your kids might surprise you like ours did by "beeping" things across the "scanner" & putting things in the homelivig center after they had been "bought". Remember to tell them that part of the Grocery Workers job is to straighten all the shelves & be sure all the things are put away. Cleanup has never been so much fun!! (Post a note the week before asking parents for empty boxes and such for the next weeks "Grocery Store"!)
Date: 7-8-99Purchase an inexpensive blue table cloth and tape to the floor, this is your pool. Add rafts,balls etc. Date: 5-25-99do a "camp safari" theme. set up tents in the dramatic play and create your own jungle in your preschool room. make giant stuffed animals by letting the children decide what animal to draw, cutting two shapes of that animal out, stapling or taping it together, and stuffing it with newspaper. hang them all over the room and create your own zoo!! Date: 4-18-99I thought of making a retail store environment using old clothes, shoes, dishes, cut-out tv's, radios, etc. Make price tags using numbers or color codes and attach to items. Have copies of ads available and also ask different stores for old name tags (ex: Sears, Wal-Mart, Target) You can also make your own name tags. you will also need play money, pens, pencils, a cash register made of cardboard. Also hangers (children's plastic ones of course). You can also make checks and credit cards with paper or cardboard. Lots of ideas for this play area. Date: 1-19-99Contact a local movie theater, and ask them for old tickets, popcorn cups, or anything else they may have laying around. Use the tickets, and popcorn cups to play "Going to the Movies" for a great and fun Dramatic Play idea. Date: 1-10-99I buy or ask parents to send in artificial flowers and plastic vases and flower pots. I put in some Styrofoam and the kids play florist shop. Add a real or play telephone and cash register, a pad of paper and a pen or pencil so that the children may take "phone" orders. The children love to make flower arrangements. Date: 12-26-98If you have extra Christmas wrapping paper around, don't throw it away! Bring all your empty boxes and wrapping paper to your classroom and turn your dramatic play area into a gift wrapping center. Provide tape and child-sized scissors. Even it is after Christmas, children still love to wrap boxes! Date: 12-3-98After a field trip to the grocery store, I turn our Let's Pretend area into a grocery store for my 4 yr.old preschoolers to enjoy . I use the child size furniture(refrigerator, stove, sink )for DAIRY, BAKERY, FROZEN FOODS, a FRUITS/VEGETABLE SHELF and use the empty doll bed for MEATS/DELI. I tape pictures of some foods that belong in that section and then equip it with real boxed foods, empty juice cans, waffle boxes, real canned goods, bread bags stuffed with newspaper, plastic fruit & vegetables, plastic meat, pizza, etc. I place some of the plastic meats and deli items on clean Styrofoam trays and cover in clear plastic wrap. Then the children take turns shopping and ringing up the groceries with pretend scanner or cash register. I also equip with paper shopping bags that have handles. The difficult part is getting the children to put their groceries back on the shelves when they are finished! Date: 12-1-98With each unit we change our dramatic play area. For example we changed it into a space ship for our sun, moon and stars unit just by hanging space pictures and putting in an out dated computer that the kids could punch around on. You could use old ice cream containers with a box cut out as helmets... Backpacks are great space packs and old soda containers are perfect oxygen tanks. The ideas are endless and it doesn't take much time to do a quick make over for any unit. Date: 11-7-98To prevent winter blues - have a Beach Party in January. Incorporate in all centers. Wear bathing suits over your clothes - Beach boy music,sand etc.have fun! areaDate: 11-1-98Health Club / Gym We like to set this up in winter when we don't get to go outside much. We set up our mini trampoline, basketball hoop, and a tumbling mat as exercise equipment. We also add fitness magazines, a telephone, towels, gym bags, a scale, and a mirror. The kids really enjoy it and it lets them work off some of that extra energy they store up during a Minnesota winter. It gets a little loud, so we limit the number of children to 4 at a time. Date: 10-25-98Dramatic play area turned in a pet hospital My 4 yr.olds loved dressing up in white lab coats, and surgery scrubs while they examined stuffed animals at the pet hospital. they used the sink for bathing, a child size table for examining, the child size stove became the C.A.T. scan or X-Ray machine. They even had a waiting room with 3 chairs and a basket with Ranger Rick magazines to read. We added to a Children's Fisher price Doctor Kit some gauze and real bandages. We even had a "Doctor is In" sign and a "No Smoking" sign. 10-7-98 Name: Leah 10-4-98 Name: Kelly 9-25-98 Name: Carmen Smith 9-25-98 Name: Bonnie 9-24-98 Name: Katie 9-23-98 Name: Amber 8-8-98 Name: Pam E-Mail: dubay@gvtc.com Another one of my favorites is while we are studying Space. We covered a huge sturdy cardboard box (one that fits around our wooden climber) with aluminum foil and clear packing tape. We made sure to cut the top flaps into triangle so they make a point at the top. We cut out the door so the children could go inside, and made triangular "tails" or "fins" for the sides. We covered the floor with the metallic surgery blankets donated by one of our local doctors and made "space suits" with them as well. We put the "blob" (two large sheets sewn together and stuffed with foam blocks) in the area so we could walk on the "moon". We glue two plastic quart size milk jugs together, tied two ropes to the handles to make shoulder straps, and spray painted them silver for oxygen tanks. We used the gallon size plastic milk jugs, cut off the handles and spray painted the silver for helmets. We covered the windows with black butcher paper and poked holes with a pencil to create the illusion of stars. The kids have had many fabulous experiences in this room. I like to take black and white photos of them walking on the moon! 7-30-98 Name: Pam E-Mail: dubay@gvtc.com One of my favorite Dramatic Play themes is Pioneers or The Old West. We take our rectangular art table and turn it into a covered wagon using flexible tent tubes, a large white sheet, and lots of tape. We put two rocking horses (or you can use saw horses with stick horse heads) in front of the covered wagon and away they go! We add bails of hay, hats, boots, a pretend camp fire with wood scraps and orange and red tissue paper and a grate from our art room drying rack. Put sand and water in the water table along with "gold" nuggets and "pan" for gold. Hang a rug over a string and use a rug beater or paddle to "beat" it clean. Great fun! 7-30-98 Name: Alison E-Mail: cooter697@aol.com When you think of summer you think of camping. For our camping unit we rolled up newspaper into paper logs and tied them with rubber bands. The children then painted them brown. After they dried(the next day) we set them up for our campfire adding red and orange cellophane and a flashlight to the middle. We sat around the "campfire" singing songs and telling stories. The children loved it.We ended our campfire time by eating 'smores. It was great! 6-20-98 Name: Adrienne E-Mail: GloryLight@AOL.com Our dramatic, or pretend play area as we call it, changes every two weeks with our theme. Some of my very favorite activities for these units include: Friendship : a birthday party -- complete with presents, hats, balloons, plates, "cake", and streamers. Children take turns celebrating birthdays together. Fall: a pumpkin patch - I pack a corner of my room with corn stalks, hay bales, straw hats, a scarecrow, pumpkins and gourds. The children have the opportunity to investigate all these items first hand! Manners: a tea party - a children's tea set( or cups and dishes) a table, table cloth, silverware. Children get to :practice" their manners. Flowers: a flowers shop - silk flowers, flower pots, watering cans, gardening gloves, spritzing bottles, packets of seeds. Children can arrange flowers, pretend to grow seeds and care for flowers. Summer: ice cream stand - cotton (ice cream) unopened containers of sprinkles and topppings. Red palm-palm cherries, scoops, cones, napkins and pretend money. 6-16-98 Name: Shelly E-Mail: swk65@aol.com Hawaiian Hula- Make the kids "grass skirts" Use construction paper and "streamers" (green) to make the skirt. Put on some Hawaiian music and let them hula! 6-7-98 Name: Donna E-Mail: harpr@mindspring.com Another great theme idea for the dramatic play area is to create an island. The children can call it Jamaica, Hawaii, etc. Get a few grass skirts, sunglasses, toy cameras, make palm trees, add shells and a sand box and for extra fun add your water table with blue food coloring for the island water. Your kids are sure to have a blast! 5-15-98 Name: Leanne E-Mail: Lea2702@aol.com While studying the letter "M" we turned our cooking center into a McDonalds. I was able to get lots of cups, happy meal boxes, sacks, and French fry boxes from our local McDonalds. I added some yellow tissue paper to wrap their hamburgers in. Then we made signs to decorate the center and also worked together during circle time to create a menu. There were lots of opportunities to recognize the letter "M" in this center. Later in the Art center we used various supplies (cardboard tubes, pipe cleaners, foam pieces,etc.) to build a playground. We glued and taped it to a large piece of cardboard along with a sign that said McDonalds. 4-27-98 Name: Lisa E-Mail: lisalisa@webtv.net Beauty Parlor I tried this activity with 3yr old children and they had a great time with it! Props: Recycled, empty hair containers, child-sized smocks,hair dryers with cords cut off and duct tape over the holes on the end to ensure safety,curlers, scarves and any other props you would like to make this center complete. Let the children use their imaginations and just go with it! 4-21-98 Name: Kathy E-Mail: kbbryant@quiknet.com Our school is fortunate to have collected dramatic play prop kits for years. We store the props in 12x10x15 inch, labeled storage boxes with lids. We are able to stack them on a high shelf when not in use. Some of the favorites have been the pet shop, shoe store, restaurant, fire station, ice cream shop and vet or hospital. At Christmas we have a manger and dress up clothes for shepherds, angels, kings etc. A wrapping paper center with empty boxes, blocks, tape, scissors and parent donated wrapping paper was a huge success. A collection of goodwill scarves, mittens and snow things go in the housekeeping area in winter. A volunteer many years ago made pilgrim clothes for us to use in November. Old wigs and wig stands, rollers, pins and broken blowdryers and combs are in the hairdresser box. The staff rotates responsibility monthly for setting up this center. 3-26-98 Name: Kate E-Mail: kfailrie@mail.ozramp.net.au During a project on 'what our parents do at work' we turned out home corner into a partial office... as well as paper, pens, phones etc. we also added two old computer keyboards that a company had donated. The kids loved using the 'computers'. We also covered a large sheet of cardboard with white book covering (we call it contact) and stuck in on the back on some shelves with some old (but not quite dead) white board markers, and a white board eraser to make a quick and easy white board. 3-23-98 Name: sue E-Mail: srotolo@bellsouth.net I purchased inexpensive nail aprons, disposable paint hats, empty paints cans (pint and quart sizes)and a variety of paint brushes from my local hardware store. My class "paints" the classroom. When the weather warms up, we bring the paint cans outside and fill them with water. The children paint the side of our brick building with water. They love it! 3-20-98 Name: Angie E-Mail: bonthuis@ames.net My Preschool and Pre-K kids love our ice cream store dramatic play area! I made yarn palm palm balls in "ice cream colors" for scoops of ice cream, ice cream cones out of cardboard covered in burlap, plastic ice cream scoops, play money, aprons, menu signs, and added lots of containers donated from a local ice cream place. Lots of neat interactions happen in this center! 3-20-98 Name: Nikki E-Mail: Ntaspnkasu@aol.com Family Dining We have a "kitchen" area that is used as a family eatery. This is similar to the other ideas, but we have managers, unruly guests, and our own name. We voted on a name (Happy Bear's) and made menus (I love doing graphic things on the computer). The guests order and the wait staff writes the first letter of the word and gives the order to the cook. We only allow 4 in each area so we have 2 workers and 2 guests. 2-20-98 Name: Nikki E-Mail: Ntaspnkasu@aol.com Office: We have old typewriters, pens, pencils, business envelopes, stampers, etc. This are is very popular with all the students. I don't know what "business" they are running but they like it. 3-13-98 Name: Lynne E-Mail: Mrslynne@aol.com While doing a week long unit on clowns and circuses, we had the kids make triangular hats and paint different colored circles on them, attached sparkly streamers to the top, and then painted their faces using the face paint recipe in this site. The kids had a ball!! They especially liked seeing themselves in a mirror when we were through. 3-4-98 Name: Daniella E-Mail: fisherwr@cinci.infi.net Grocery Store Keep old containers from foodstuffs to setup a grocery store. I have several shopping bags full of cleaned-up containers/packaging on-hand for "Grocery Day". The children can play customer/grocer, etc. Have play money and price tags available. Also help the children make shopping lists. Another activity my boys and I have tried is grouping the containers/packages into food groups to introduce nutrition awareness. 3-4-98 Name: Allyson E-Mail: goldjay@dpnet.net We turn our dramatic play area into a grocery store. Add empty food boxes and plastic bottles (parents can send these in). We also add a cash register and brown grocery bags, and play money. We turn the "stove" in our house area into a checkout by taping black paper on the top so it looks like the belt (unfortunately, it does not really move). The children can be customers with mini shopping carts, purses, dress up shoes and clothes, etc. Some children can be the cashier (take turns) and when the food is all off the shelf, the children can be stock persons, and reshelve items. 3-1-98 Name: Susan E-Mail: bajabird@webtv.net After showing the students how to do this activity, I place a tub of soapy water, clean water, and a towel in the dramatic play area for students to wash dishes. They love this! It is also helpful to have them wear a vinyl type apron or smock as to not get too wet. 3-1-98 Name: Susan E-Mail: bajabird@webtv.net I place clean, unfolded towels and cloth diapers in the dramatic play area for the students to fold. I also provide a rebus type picture sequence that outlines how to fold in 1/2 and then in 1/2 again. Folding is something that has been presented to them both in circle time and individually. This is good for motor skills as well as for fractional concepts. 3-1-98 Name: Susan E-Mail: bajabird@webtv.net I have my dramatic play area reflect the theme we are studying if at all possible. For example, while doing a unit on Clifford, the Big Red Dog, I put a Dr. Kit along with a leash, dog toys, dog bones and some stuffed animal dogs in the dramatic play area. The kids could then pretend to be a vet, or to just take their pet for a walk. When studying apples, we read the story, How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World. I then put white and red playdough in the dramatic play area along with lots of cooking utensils and the recipe for the apple pie out of the book. Students could then pretend to make apple pies. It was amazing how detailed their pies really were! 2-28-98 Name: sunny E-Mail: sunnyone@sunet.net We have a "Garage Prop Box." Actually, my husband collected these things for me. There are old gas filler nozzles with hoses attached, air pumps, grease guns, safety glasses, tools galore, clip boards full of car diagnostic papers, neat car service diagrams, estimate sheets,flashlights, receipt books, car magazines, tool catalogs, car advertisements from the news paper, he even got patches from Chevron and Ford that I sewed on white shirts. 2-24-98 Name: Gina.. E-Mail: burkhard@ecsu.campus.mci.net Just recently, I have added empty, clean make-up containers to my dramatic play. 2-23-98 Name: Alicia E-Mail: AliciaDug@aol.com My 3 and 4-year-olds love to play "birthday party" in the dramatic play area. I decorate the usual home-like corner into a party with steamers and balloons hung on the ceiling. I wrap cardboard blocks and boxes as presents and supply them with party hats, plates and cups. You can add empty cake boxes and ice cream containers and I've painted a round metal tin to look like a cake. We also use playdough with candles and cupcake pans so they can pretend to make their own cakes. 1-26-98 Name: cindy E-Mail: cin69@webtv.net Turn your dramatic play into a bakery! Set up your kitchen area, add a counter and cash register and a menu. put play clay (I use scented) cookie cutters, cookie sheets, candy molds, cook books, aprons etc. This is pretty messy so you may want to cover the floor with a plastic drop cloth. Have a baker from a local bakery come in and do a simple food experience to reinforce the concept. 1-25-98 Name: Diana E-Mail: ddthc@aol.com Pizza Hut Your local Pizza Hut will give you small., med., & large. cups and pizza boxes if you ask. Put a red and white checked table cloth on you house keeping table. You will also need: cash register, pencils, small note pad for taking orders, play pizza, aprons, menus, and the list can go on. The children really enjoy this center. I also do the same thing with McDonalds. Name: Ellen E-Mail: EBPecteach@aol.com Set the dramatic play area up as a veterinarian's office. Use stuffed animals as the patients (the children could bring in their own, if they wish). Provide bandaids, bandages, doctors kits, etc. It is especially fun to set this up during a Caring for Pets unit or Zoo unit. Name: ginny E-Mail: Msginnyedu@aol.com With January coming up we always do Snow People (we are politically correct). I put my husbands old hunting boots, a couple of old felt hats (a mans and a ladies), scarves, mittens, gloves and some old brooms in the dressup area. The kids really love becoming the "Snow Person". Name: Staci E-Mail: sbridges1@capecod.net Put wrapping paper into the blocks area with tape, bows, ribbons etc. The children can wrap up small and large blocks like presents. Name: Staci E-Mail: sbridges1@capecod.net Turn the dramatic play area into a post office. Since so many cards and packages are sent during the month of December this would be a great way for the kids to role play. Don't forget to include stamps, envelopes ,markers, pens, stamps and stamp pads, phone book, scale for weighing packages, phones, tape. Turn the block area into a wrapping station where they can package boxes to be mailed. Use a large box-painted and a hole cut into it for a mail box. Make sure to include a canvas tote for a mail bag. Name: Pam E-Mail: LuvPupt@aol.com I have a play school in my dramatic area...children take turns being teacher, principal, students, supply it with school-related things and lots of books! Name: Cindy E-Mail: cin69@webtv.net Nursery Rhymes: The Three Bears Turn your dramatic play into the three bear's house. Make some ears(either construction paper or if you sew fake fur) and attach them to headbands. Get a little girl's headband with a bow on it for goldilocks. Set up your housekeeping area like normal with a few exceptions: make sure you put 3 sets of everything in if possible in the different sizes. Use colored masking tape to make a "path" for the bears to follow when they leave their house. Reinforce the dramatic play area by reading the story Goldilocks and the three bears during circle time. Submitted by: Daylene E-Mail: aactchrday@aol.com Submitted by: Daylene E-Mail: aactchrday@aol.com Flower Shop Real and silk flowers tissue paper (to wrap flowers) tape stapler pencils "invoice pad" play money plastic pots plastic vases toy cash register Visit a flower shop on a field trip or talk with the children about what they might find in a flowershop. Set the props out in your dramatic play area and let the children explore! Name: Angela E-Mail: KATZ1031@aol.com Circus prop box: Prepare this box to be brought in from time to time. Include such items as clown costumes, ballet shoes, ballet costumes, wigs, small umbrella, round plastic tub, yarn on the end of a straw(simulate animal tamer)etc. Ask children to bring stuffed animals to be circus animals for that week. Use masking tape on floor as a tight rope. Setup chairs for an audience. :o) Name: Sharon E-Mail: RelativeSS@aol.com Optometrist Office/Eyeglass Store Materials: Eye Charts, Mirrors, Sunglasses bought at Dollar Store with lenses popped out, Cash Register, pennies or play money, posters, pictures of people wearing glasses, white lab coats, cameras, film, Arthur books, other eye-related reference books. Submitted by: Daylene E-Mail: aactchrday@aol.com Activity: Fast Food Restaurant Materials to have on hand: If you go to any fast food joint and tell them that you are a teacher who is setting up a pretend fast food restaurant. Normally, they are very happy to oblige and will give you anything that your little heart desires! Also, the kids love using "real" items for their restaurant. Submitted by: LeeAnn E-Mail: JLCol546@aol.com Activity: Lawn/Garden Service Materials to have on hand: I set up this dramatic play area in an out-of-the way corner (which became our back yard) when we were talking about spring. The children knew just what to do with it. They needed little or no direction from the teachers. It encouraged great social interaction and cooperation in "getting the yard work done"! Submitted by: Tammy E-Mail: sontag@net1plus.com Activity Animal Hospital The children can brainstorm ways to make the area look like an animal hospital. Let them make a sign and decorate the area themselves. Materials Submitted by: Daylene E-mail: aactchrday@aol.com Activity The Beach Set the scene: Props Submitted by: Daylene E-mail: aactchrday@aol.com Activity Camping Set the scene Props |
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