Dramatic Play

Dramatic Play

  

The Dramatic Play area gives children a chance to take on new roles and act out real-life experiences. Props and imagination help them bring outside life into our classroom. 

Many learning opportunities pop up as the children pretend and act. They are expanding their vocabulary by the constant communication, which is an important factor in learning how to read. They are practicing problem-solving skills by working out the problems in organizing and re-creating their pretend scenarios. They are also balancing heavily on their past experiences; they think about what they remember from an experience they had and reenact that experience in their play. For example, in order for children to play "Mommy," they have to remember what a real mommy does to take care of her baby. 

Ideas for Home:

There are many things you can do to bring dramatic play into your home. Provide a few simple props (i.e. a sheet over a table and chairs to serve as a tent for a camping adventure or a large cardboard box children can paint to turn into a fire engine) and let your child put his/her imagination to work.

Here are a few ideas from The Creative Curriculum (2002) you can use at home:

• During bath time, include plastic boats, cups and rubber dolls and play pretend.
• Save food cartons, make some play money, and play store with your child.
• Read stories together and involve your child in acting out different parts of the story.
• Collect some old clothes your child can use to dress up and make believe.
• Say to your child, "Let's pretend we're going on a train ride. What do we need? Tickets? Suitcases? Do you want to collect the tickets?" (p. 293). 

 Dodge, Diane T., Colker, Laura J., Heroman, Cate. (2002). The Creative Curriculum.
        Washington DC: Teaching Strategies Inc.