Children learn to cooperate during dramatic play.
Dramatic play helps children to develop physically, socially and emotionally. When children role play, they learn to cooperate, share, take turns, plan, organize and solve problems. They practice language skills and develop motor skills. While most children can play for hours with a stick and a box, teachers can create dramatic play centers with donated or inexpensive items that enhance creative thinking.
Music Studio
Most children enjoy playing musical instruments. Set up a center that includes inexpensive keyboards, guitars, recorders, harmonicas, kazoos and percussion instruments. Provide music books, a tape recorder, blank tapes and prerecorded tapes. Add dress up clothes, fabrics of different textures and colors, scarves, and shoes, so budding musicians can create costumes. Set up a full length mirror; doing so will allow students to see their own performances.
Office
Children can choose a career and join the workforce in an office play center. An old typewriter or toy computer on a desk can be a base for budding accountants, administrative assistants, managers, writers and employees in all kinds of jobs. Provide toy phones or old cell phones so students can talk or text, note pads and pens for messages and memos, and calculators to crunch numbers. Add a briefcase, stapler, paper clips, calendar, phone books, nameplate, old forms, file folders, junk mail, stationery and envelopes. Include suits and other play clothes, so the children can dress for success.
Grocery Store
Whether they want to shop, stock shelves or run the cash register, children will enjoy a grocery store play center. Provide shopping carts, egg cartons, plastic food, play money, a cash register, aprons, purses, wallets, grocery store fliers, coupons and paper bags. Children can make shelf signs to label play food, set prices and count out play money to pay for their purchases.
Art Studio
Encourage creativity with an art studio. Set up an easel with paint, a chalkboard with chalk, and stations for free art. Include the staples, such as crayons, washable markers, paper, scissors, glue sticks and glitter, then add your choice of additional supplies. Additions may include buttons, yarn, beads, tape, pastels, modeling clay, stamps, stickers, felt, pipe cleaners and cotton balls.
Tags: cash register, dramatic play, learn cooperate, play center, play money
