Why is play important to your child?
Play is a vital part of your child’s development. Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. For young children, play and learning are one and the same, they cannot be differentiated.
Through play, important brain development is established. Play is not a break from or a reward for learning- Play is Learning!
Play is learning journeyintoearlychildhood.com
Dramatic Play journeyintoearlychildhood.com
Dramatic Play
There is documented research that demonstrates
the high level of cognitive, social, and emotional benefits
from children’s engagement in dramatic play.
Children learn through imaginative play- more skills
(see post on April 1st for the first list)…
Social/Emotional Skills:
- Negotiating
- Compromising
- Self-control
- Managing feelings
Critical Thinking Skills:
- Problem-solving
- Predicting
Academic Skills:
- Storytelling
- Increasing vocabulary
MORE Dramatic Play Ideas for Home that
Include VERY Little Set-Up or Supplies…
(see post on April 1st for more ideas)
- Airplane or Train:
- Supply Ideas:
- Put 5 chairs together (pairs side by side and one in the front).
- Paper, crayons, markers
- Suggestions:
- Help your child design tickets and travel brochures.
- Have your child take on the role of pilot, flight attendant or passenger.
- Where are you going?
- What will you see?
- Are you flying to Africa and can see the giraffes and elephants as you travel across the safari on a train?
- Or maybe in Australia and can see the koalas and kangaroos?
- Or to a big city?
- What will you do when you arrive?
- Where do the passengers store their luggage? How do they get their luggage when they arrive at their destination? How to they tag their luggage?
- Supply Ideas:
- Hairdresser
- Supply Ideas
- Comb and brush
- Barrettes and other hair accessories
- Hair Blow dryer (not plugged in)
- Straighter (not plugged in)
- Suggestions
- Allow your child to pretend to cut and style your hair.
- Add in some additional literacy by remembering to call to make an appointment so your child can keep a schedule of appointments.
- Don’t forget to have your child write a receipt and for you to pay.
- Suggestions
- Supply Ideas
- Trudging through the Rain Forest, Woods or Jungle
- Supplies Needed
- Pillows
- Blankets
- Toilet paper cardboard tubes
- Suggestions
- Have your child help you set up obstacles that you might face in one of those environments such as pillows that you have to step on to cross the marsh, trees (stairs) you have to climb to see to the other side, a blanket across a chair and couch or a table that becomes low hanging branches that you have crawl under.
- What animals do you see? Do you need binoculars to see the animals? (make some from two toilet paper cardboard tubes taped together)
- What supplies might you need?
- Carry a picnic with you and stop at the “clearing” (kitchen floor) to eat your lunch
- Supplies Needed
- Movie Theatre (Do you already have plans to watch a movie together? Turn your living room into a movie theatre.)
- Supply Ideas:
- Tickets, brochure, money, and concession signs and prices- allow your child to make. Only need paper and crayons or markers
- Suggestions:
- What roles will your child play? Ticket taker, concession stand clerk or is it a dine-in theatre and he/she needs to take your order and deliver the snacks?
- Have your child name the theatre and make a sign, make tickets and make signs for the concession stand- how much will popcorn, pop, apple, chips, candy bar, etc. cost (whatever you are willing to serve at your theatre!) Cut apart some paper and write a number on it to use as money. Allow your child to “make change” for you.
- Have your child make a movie brochure by drawing pictures of 3-4 movies and then collecting a vote from each family member. Show your child how to make tally marks to show each person’s vote.
- Office
- Supply Ideas
- Keyboard
- Clipboard
- Phone (not plugged in)
- Paper
- Pens/pencils
- Phone book
- Notepad
- Supply Ideas
- Supply Ideas:
Office Play journeyintoearlychildhood.com
Office Set Up journeyintoearlychildhood.com
Dramatic Play Office journeyintoearlychildhood.com
Open-Ended Questions to Expand Children’s Play in a Dramatic Play Center:
- What do you need to… * How is it different than…
- How is it the same as… * What else can you do with…
- What would happen now/ next if… * What is your plan…
- How would you describe… * How many different ways…
- I notice…. Tell me more…. * How does someone know…
Home Learning – Dramatic Play Suggestions: PRINTABLE VERSION fREE DOWNLOAD
NOTE: Response sheets where students are illustrating or writing an idea based on a response to a prompt from a piece of literature, such as draw the setting or draw your favorite part of the story OR a documentation sheet, data collection sheet or “lab report” where information from science observations or data is begin recorded are NOT considered worksheets. Worksheets typically have one correct answer such as “circle all of pictures that start with the letter H” or “underline the words that rhyme with car.”
A very reflective teacher chose a different way to create pumpkins this year. The students practiced cutting on a straight line on paint chips. They also then drew and cut their own pumpkin shapes instead of cutting on a teacher developed template. Students were learning fine motor cutting skills along with math skills of shapes and counting, critical thinking, problem-solving, and proportions.
