dramatic play ideas

[Sheryl]

I've been trying to change up the dramatic play area. I am so sick of the "kitchen" and looking for new & interesting ideas. I would like to do a Post Office to promote the writing skills of my soon-to-be kindergarteners. Then later this month a flower shop with other spring events.

POST OFFICE - Any ideas as to what would work nice for sorting mail? I plan to use stickers for stamps. I'm also going to invite parents to "mail" letters to their children. I would like to put up a real mailbox too. I think each day, I will have a mail carrier. So basically, it will be a writing center.

FLOWER SHOP - I'm planning on buying a lot of artificial flowers for them to fix up into boquets, etc. I think I'll have to stop by a florist to get some plastic vases too, maybe they'll donate a couple.

Please submit ideas/suggestions. I would love more ideas for dramatic play areas. When I came to this center, the only dramatic play items were housekeeping (the kitchen). I'm bored with it and the children are too! I am starting from scratch with creating new dramatic play centers. I just did a clothing store that tied into our President's Day / money theme.

[Leigh]

This is the one thing that my training and curriculum specialist is good for. She gave a list. I can only remeber the airplane one right now, and I don't remember how she said to set it up, but I will look at the sheet when I go to work on Monday and I will post some more ideas for you, so check here on Mon or Tues. for more ideas.

[Sheryl]

Thanks Leigh!

(We are planning on a field trip to the airport, maybe in April, so that would tie in great!)

[Diane]

I found this site that has many links to other Dramatic Play Areas. I hope it helps some. ;)

http://www.ecewebguide.com/dramatic%20play.htm

[Jezmom]

I have a few prop box ideas.
BIRTHDAY BOX- you can use it when it is one of the children's birthday, as a special class celebration. Party hats and stramers, let the children decorate the dramatic play area for a party. Use shaving cream and upside down plasic bowls, butter knives, let the children "ice"the cake. Use 3x5 index cards and consruction paper, let children discuss how to plan a party and make b-day cards and invitations.
RestaurantBox- The class can act out different roles- Cook, waitress, customer, cashier.
BABY BOX- I have used this to help with the adjustment of a new baby in the family. They love to diaper and wash the babies and feed them bottles,(or nurse them, like my daughter did,LOL).Children in the room can make welcome baby announcements in the writing area.

I have not made one, but have seen a construction prop box with PVC pipes(cheap), and it looked like fun too!!!
Hope this helps!!!

[Reb]

We did a camping dramatic play area with sleeping bags and a big painted campfire. We pretended to roast real (big ones) marshmallows over the fire using our fingers. We also did a hospital one with donated scrub suits and face masks and shoe masks- they loved this one. But the rule was you could only "doctor" on the dolls--NOT each other.Then we did a vet center to--doctoring on stuffed animals and the ever popular-- OFFICE-set out some scrap paper, a calculator, a few cordless phones and some business attire (suit coats, blazers, ties, briefcases) and let 'em go!!!!!! Hope this helps
reb

[MK]

My kids like to play "store". Get either a toy cash register or make one out of a box, and ask parents to donate empty food cartons/containers: cereal boxes, popcorn boxes, coffee cans, soda bottles, milk jugs (cleaned and deodorized), rinsed out juice cans or bottles, etc. My son's Headstart school started one of these too.

My kids also like to collect the coupons that I might ordinarily throw away to use in their "store" somehow. They also bring out their toys and books and pretend to sell/buy them.

[KarlaB]

At ds's school they just had a Pizza Hut set up. Let's see what I can rememeber seeing...They had a table with a red tablecloth, a counter with a cash register, a counter with pizza boxes, glasses, pitchers, plates, and using a box they made a machine for "fountain pop". I feel like there was more than this, but I can't think of what else.
They also had a fish house this winter made out of a box with fishing poles and pretend fish inside. And, they have had a fire station - on the top of Little Tykes cars they taped on pretend sirens made out of red paper and they had fire hoses and dress up fire coats, boot, hats, etc. They have also done the grocery store. We do this at home and the kids love it! Good luck! :)

[Leigh]

I am sorry that I haven't got back to you , but I haven't forgot you. I just can't find that list at work now. Wouldn't you know it.LOL! I'll keep looking and when I find it I will give it to you.

[Katie]

I asked my kids what they might like to change the dramatic play area into ( I was thinking a restaurant) and they came up with an office. I asked parents for help, and one Mom brought in an old business phone, an adding machine, and all different types of writing instruments. An old computer keyboard is great too. They love it!!!!! Its great for promoting writing.

[andrea]

In our area we change it to the HAIR SALON with toy hair dryers, combs, brushes, curlers and hair clips and slides etc. Also have a desk with book to take appointemnts and a phone, waiting area with seats and a tables with magazines etc. Another one we have is a GROCERY STORE with pretend food made frome minature boxes etc like the one you get when a food item comes out on trial. You can make tinned food by taking the label off a real tin cut it down a little and glue around a piece of kitchen roll tube. Then you will need baskets and/or carts a till or two and some toy money. How about a CAFE with tables and chairs selling coffee and tea and cakes etc. Or a TRAVEL AGENTS with travel brochures, posters of far away places etc.
For your post office theme you could have the children write a letter to themselves take a walk to the mail box and wait for it to come to them at home, see how long each one took look for the post mark on the envelope.
Hope these help.

[Leigh]

I am sorry. I still haven't found those ideas that my tac handed out. I hope I find them soon, but everyone else's ideas are great too, and they are probably about the same as the ones my tac gave me.

[Leigh]

Sheryl

Here are those ideas.

Hospital: bandages, bandaids, masks, scrubs, cots, first aid kit, stethascope, dolls, and sheets

Travel office: old typewriter index cards for tickets, inkstamps, travel brochures, travel posters, captain hats, chairs set up like train, bus, or plane, suitcases, play money, magazines to read while traveling, and tray and paper cups to serve.

Office: typewriter, indeex cards, tablets, envelopes, pencils, calculator, old glasses, neckties, suit jackets, and brief cases.

Gas station: garden hose handle for pretend pump, cardboard boxes painted like cars, play money, cleaning rag, gas coupons

Jungle: palm trees, stuffed jungle animals, safari hats, flash lights, binoculars, cardboard cages, pretend food for animals, and a jungle and animal tape.

Washing clothes: old clothes, clothes pins, clothes line, ironing boards, empty soap powder, hangers, clothes baskets

Space: Large boxes covered with aluminum foil, joysticks, space hats out of colanders, "Moon Boots", doing the moon walk, have a rope to hold on to while space walking.

Sorry that these took so long. Hope that they help!