Goals:
  • participate in different role-play scenarios and engage in a variety of literacy rich experiences
  • plan, implement, and construct play
  • express thoughts, feelings, and ideas
  • learn social skills, negotiating skills, and conflict resolution techniques
  • draw on past experiences to solve problems
  • construct understanding of new concepts
  • participate in reading environmental print connecting the idea that print has meaning
  • use tools and materials to create functional uses of print and emergent writing
Area:
The dramatic play area is often best situated near the block area. This allows for the two areas to be integrated together, which children often spontaneously do in their play. Plus both areas are usually louder and more active play areas. 

Equipment:
The equipment used in this area with change depending on what kind of theme you have going. Often times a child sized kitchen set is located here for children to play "house."  Other accessories can be added or incorporated to change the "theme" of the dramatic play area. 

Supplies:
Play dishes, food items, and dress up clothes are a must have in this area. Also there should be multicultural dolls, and doll accessories for the children to use. Other supplies will depend on the play scenarios being carried out.
 
Tips:
  • Display photographs of how the center looks when everything is put away neatly. This will help kids to know how/where to put things at clean up time. 
  • Label where items belong on shelves with pictures and words for easy clean up too.
  • Have the children help create "signs" and other "literacy rich" accessories for new centers. For example, when you set up a grocery center ask them what to name it and make a grocery store sign together for the new center. If you set up a restaurant have the children create the menus.
Download the files below to help you plan and implement a successful Dramatic Play Center!
Dramatic Play Area Sign.pdf
File Size: 85 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
dramatic_play_supply_list.pdf
File Size: 406 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File