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Friday, 20 October 2017

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