Dramatic Play

One of the management team at the first centre I worked in had compiled all of her readings and research for each curriculum area into books for our centre. There was a book for each curriculum area, and they were required reading for all teachers. A good goal was to read one book a month. I used to read them in my lunch breaks. One of the curriculum books was on Dramatic Play, and before leaving I made a list of the different suggestions and ideas to promote dramatic play. I have since been doing much more reading and research on the importance of play - in particular, child-led play, without interrence or interruption from an adult - and how it develops Executive Function, which is a critical factor for success in school. Executive Function impacts on a child's ability to wait, to delay gratification, to be able to focus on their work knowing they will be able to go play later, to manage themselves and their behaviour, to problem solve, and to pay attention. Children need to be able to play, and to have plenty of unhurried, uninterrupted time in which to engage in play.

Setting up the environment to support them in their pursuit of play is part of the art and craft of the teacher. Below at some suggestions for props to set up various areas. They need not be expensive - many of these things may be found in op-shops or charity shops; garage sales; donated by parents; or, the source of many teachers classrooms - our homes.

Kitchen Props: some suggestions

Spice rack
Cups
Saucers
Timer
Clock
Ice cube trays
Vase
Tablecloth
Towels
Cloths
Iron
Ironing board
Rubber gloves
Duster
Dustpan & Brush
Broom
Kettle
Apron

Living Room

Sofa, Chairs, TV (Can be made from a cardboard box); Video; remote control
Magazine rack
Paintings
Ornaments
Flowers
Cushions
Newspapers
Telephone directory
Plants
TV guide
Books
Mirror
Address book
Catalogues
Puppets (for use with TV) - children can then make up their own TV progammes.

Bedroom

Beds or cots

Bed clothes

Dolls

Dolls clothes

Hats

Lengths of fabric

Clothes hangers

Dressing table

Mirror

Jewellery

Handbags

Shoes

Variety of scarves

Hospital

Doctor / nurse uniform
Rubber gloves
Beds, sheets, blankets
Plasters, bandages, cotton wool
Syringes
Thermometer
Old plaster casts
Scales
Waiting area - chairs, magazines, books
Telephone
Clipboards, paper, pencils
Reference books about the body
Posters / charts
Files
Doctors bag
Dolls
Medicine bottles, spoon, syringes, measuring cups
Stethoscope
Old x-Ray pictures
Crutches
Height measures
Measuring tape
Note pads / prescriptions
Get well soon cards
Vases, flowers
Appointment book


Travel Agent

Desk
Telephone
Clipboards, paper, pencils
Stamps, stamp pads
Posters: travel destinations, world maps, planes, boats, cruise ships. holiday posters
Catalogues and brochures
Maps
Passports
Postcards
Tickets
Suitcases / backpacks
Summer / winter clothes
Sunglasses
Bucket, spade, sun hats, rubber rings, beach ball, goggles, fishing net
Picnic rug, picnic set

Airport
Check in desk
X-ray machine (cardboard box with a black plastic bin liner glued over the top and cut into strips at each end)
Clipboards
Stamps and stamp pads
Boarding passes
Chairs set up in a row for the aeroplane
Magazines and books for reading while on plane
Trolley
Food, plates, cups, trays

Flower Shop

Flowers made by children using paper, card, cellophane, and found materials
Shop signs: Open/Closed; opening times
Dried flowers
Paper / silk / plastic flowers
Real flowers and plants
Oasis
Shopping baskets
Catalogues
Cards - large and small
Wrapping paper, scissors, Sellotape
Bucket
Plant sprayers
Ribbons
Cash register and money
Price lists
Telephone
Order book
Pens / pencils
Posters
Plastic vases
Flower pots
Pressed flowers

Post Office

Post box
Signs
Leaflets and forms: tax, passports, licence
Clipboards, paper, pencils
Cards
Stamps
Envelopes
Labels
Wrapping paper
Parcels
Scales
Telephone
Stamps and stamp pad
Till and money
Savings books
Mail bag
Maps
Foreign currency stamps
Phone
Sellotape
Scissors

Restaurant / Cafe / Takeaway

Name of cafe - signs, and opening times; open / closed sign

Tablecloth

Cups, plates, cutlery

Flowers

Recipe books
Menu
Cash register, money
Pictures of food
Blackboard for Daily Specials
Order pads or clipboards, paper and pencils
Napkins, placemats
Phone

Garden Centre

Seeds or seed packets

Bulbs

Herbs

Flower pots

Seed trays

Lolly sticks

Variety of flowers and plants made by children

Foliage

Tools: trowels, forks, spades, rakes

Watering cans

Lawn mower

Bird table

Logs

Water spray

Soil, compost, grow bags

Water feature

Garden furniture

Counter, till, money, phone

Gardening magazines and catalogues

Stories and reference books re gardening, growing, flowers and trees

Other Dramatic Play Ideas

Airport

Animal shelter

Aquarium

Art gallery

Artist studio

Astronaut / space ship

Bakery

Bank

Barnyard

Beach

Beauty shop

Bedroom

Birthday party

Bookstore

Bus

Campground

Candy shop

Car wash

Card shop

Castle

Cave

Chinese restaurant

Circus

Computer store

Gypsy caravan 

Dance studio

Dentist

Department store

Doctors

Drive through restaurant

Exercise studio

Factory

Fairytale land

Farm

Fast food restaurant

Film maker

Fix it shop

Fire station

Fishing

Florist

Garage / gas station

Garden

Gift shop

Gift wrapping

Grocery store

Hardware store

Holiday

Hospital

House

Ice cream truck

Library

Movie set

Movie theatre 

Museum

North Pole

Nursery rhyme

Ocean

Outer space

Palaeontologist

Park

Pet shop

Photographer

Picnic

Pirat ship

Pizza parlour

Police station

Post office

Puppet show

Radio show

Rainforest

Recycling centre

Restaurant

Safari

Santas workshop

School

School bus

Shoe repair or shoe shop

Tea party

TV station

Theatre

Toy store 

Train

Vacation / travel

Vet clinic

Wedding

Winter wonderland

Zoo

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