Dramatic play area preschool

This classic dramatic play center is another favorite. Set up a hospital with a triage cot, doctor costumes and lots of props. No explanation is needed! This is one of the centers (like the grocery store and the restaurant) that the children are usually very familiar with. They love to be called “Doctor”! Click HERE for more pictures of the set-up.

Hot Drink Cafe – Dramatic Play Center

Warm up with a mug of hot chocolate and a fresh pastry at the “Star Drinks” hot drink cafe. Click HERE to see lots of photo inspiration.

Ice Cream Parlor – Dramatic Play Center

Chocolate and mint ice cream with cherries on top… coming right up! Preschoolers love to scoop and sell this summer treat to their friends. Click HERE to see more pictures.

Do your students love to reread the books that you share with them in class? Set your dramatic play area up as a Library. Allow them to “check out” books with their very own library card and return them to school the next day.

Pancake and Waffle

What’s for breakfast?! Add the pancake and waffle sets (available HERE and HERE from Melissa & Doug) to the kitchen and fire up the grill. Children will love the custom menus and all of the toppings for their delicious breakfast.

Make a brick oven from a cardboard box and a roll of “brick” wrapping paper. Preschoolers will make pizzas, and order pizzas, and deliver pizzas, and pretend to eat pizzas ALL.DAY.LONG! Click HERE to see all the photos.

Post Office – Dramatic Play Center

Invite children to write letters to the parents or grandparents, to make cards for their classmates, and to deliver the mail at the Post Office Dramatic Play Center. Click HERE to see lots of pictures.

Can we take your order? The restaurant dramatic play center is chock full of opportunities to practice reading, writing, and teamwork. Click HERE to see the menu and order forms that are perfect for emergent readers.

Sandwich Shop – Dramatic Play Center

Switch the general restaurant into a fast-food sandwich shop. With this dramatic play idea, students will follow the menu board from left to right to choose the bread, protein, vegetables, and toppings for their very own sandwich.

Would you like a taco or a burrito from this very popular Taco Stand? Preschoolers will take your order then create the taco or burrito of your choice. What a way to “spice” up the dramatic play center!

Vet Clinic – Dramatic Play Center

While you’re learning about zoo animals, pets, or even the farm, this dramatic play Vet Clinic is a great way to engage children in pretend play. They will care for the animals and become veterinarians, x-ray technicians, and nurses.

Transformed trifold science boards into a straw house, a stick house and a brick house for an adorable version of the Three Little Pigs. Preschoolers who can memorize and act out stories will have great comprehension skills when they get to school. It’s also fun act out Goldilocks and the Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Whether you’re setting up a plain restaurant, a pizza parlor, an ice cream shop, or a taco stand, here’s a surefire FUN way to spice it up. Add a drink machine! You can use a box or a bookshelf with just a few simple additions (paper cups and tissue paper) to make it extraordinary. Click HERE for more details.

If you’re looking for a quick set-up, cheap center, this is it! Get all the supplies from the dollar store and added water. It’s great for summer, too. Take those kids outside and put them to work! Sometimes the best dramatic play ideas are the simplest.

Put on paleontology hats and look for dinosaur bones and footprints at this dramatic play dig site. Click HERE to see how to use a simple ingredient from the craft store to turn the sensory table into an excavation site.

Do your kids like to pretend or role play? What is your favorite way to set it up? Whatever it is, have tons of fun playing and learning with your children today.

Be sure to follow this Dramatic Play Pinterest board for even more dramatic play ideas.

Follow Play to Learn Preschool’s board Dramatic Play Preschool on Pinterest.

All dramatic play idea printables are available HERE:

Are you a teacher?

FREE Home Living Dramatic Play!

The dramatic play area is the center of our classroom community. So much fun, hands-on learning takes place there!

After you subscribe, you will be redirected to the FREE Dramatic Play Set. We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.

Dramatic Play Center in Preschool Pre-K and Kindergarten

The dramatic play area is always a huge hit with young children. Every year it’s a tie between which center is the most popular in my classroom, the dramatic play center or the blocks center. Young children thrive on pretend play, they love to dress up and role play real life situations in the play center. The opportunities for developing creativity, imagination, and oral language skills in the play center are endless!

Preschool Dramatic Play Center

To the untrained eye it may seem like kids are just playing when they’re in the dramatic play area, but early childhood professionals know differently!

Your pretend center can be filled with many opportunities for both learning and fun. If you’re intentional about planning rich and meaningful play experiences for your little learners, they’ll not only be having fun, but they’ll be learning through play!

Benefits of Dramatic Play

It’s no secret that young children are extremely observant, they like to act out the social scenarios they observe in everyday life in the pretend play area.

When they’re acting out these scenarios, they’re expanding their vocabularies and developing important oral language skills. They’re also learning to think abstractly, practicing problem-solving skills, and developing their abilities to empathize and work cooperatively with others.

Pretend play promotes the development of higher level thinking skills, problem solving, oral language development and oh so much more! When your kids engage in pretend play they’re developing critical skills across all learning domains such as language and literacy, math, science, social studies, fine and gross motor, and even social skills!

Social Studies

Your dramatic play center provides many opportunities for kids to learn about families, communities and how the world works. Kids can learn about where food comes from in a pretend play apple orchard or at the farmer’s market.

Setting up different scenarios in your pretend play area can help your students learn about the different roles people in the workforce have at places like the fire station, doctor’s office, or car repair shop.

Social Skills

Young children learn how to work cooperatively and solve problems when they engage in pretend play. They’re developing empathy as they respond to the needs of babies in the nursery or sick animals in the vet clinic.

Language Skills

The dramatic play center is filled with rich opportunities for young children to practice new vocabulary. When they play pretend in this center, your kids are practicing how to communicate their wants, needs, and even their food preferences, “No tomatoes on my taco please!”

Literacy Skills

Your kids can engage with a wide variety of printed text in the dramatic play area. Things like restaurant menus, a grocery shopping list, campground maps, and pizza order forms help young children better understand the function of print and the importance of reading and writing as a part of our everyday lives.

Math Skills

There are so many opportunities to develop math skills in the dramatic play area. When kids ring up purchases at the grocery store, count out the scoops at the ice cream shop, buy stamps at the post office, or take the temperature of sick animal at the vet clinic they’re practicing important early math skills.

The grocery store conveyor belt and keypad shown above are part of the Melissa and Doug Fresh Mart Grocery Store set.

Science Skills

Even science skills can be taught through dramatic play as young children pretend to be astronauts in the space center or paleontologists on a dinosaur bone expedition. They’ll be absorbing and practicing important scientific vocabulary when they engage in these types of science rich pretend play scenarios.

How To Set Up A Dramatic Play Area

The size of your dramatic play center is usually determined by how much space you have for it. If you have a large classroom with lots of space, then the sky’s the limit.

Here are the very basics for getting started with stocking your dramatic play area with furniture: kid-sized table and chairs, a sink, stove, oven and refrigerator. My favorite piece of furniture for the dramatic play center is this wooden kitchen from Discount School Supply pictured above. These are often referred to as “combo” or “all-in-one” kitchen play sets.

Even if you have a limited budget, small classroom, or limited space, you can still have a very functional and successful dramatic play area. You might consider doing what I did and use plastic drawers from any big box store to create a play kitchen. I used one as-is to create the stove and oven, and the slender one was pained with silver spray paint to create the refrigerator. Then, I just printed clipart on sticker paper, cut each image out, and attached it to the top and front of the drawer units to make it a bit more realistic.

If you have the space and budget for a large play kitchen, here are my suggestions:

• Refrigerator
• Microwave
• Sink/Stove/Oven Combo
• Kid-Sized Table and Chairs
• Baby Doll Beds
• Baby Doll High Chair
• Shelf

For more detailed information about how to set up your dramatic play area, please download my free Center Essentials Guide which includes classroom maps, supply lists, and more!

Dramatic Play Themes

You can change your dramatic play center throughout the year to keep it fresh, fun, and exciting. It also allows your little learners to have a wide variety of role-playing experiences.

We like to start out the school year with the basic home living, housekeeping area or play kitchen center, and then we spice things up by changing our dramatic play themes about every two weeks or so.

Changing dramatic play themes every two to four weeks allows children opportunities to practice important vocabulary, begin to internalize the new words offered in each play theme, and role-play a variety of common situations.

The how to set the table placemat pictured above is from the Home Living Dramatic Play Theme.

Click on the links below to see pictures of and learn more about each of the different dramatic play themes we have used in our classroom.

• Home Living – basic housekeeping theme
• Baby Nursery
• Birthday Party
• Dinosaur Dig
• Restaurant
• Bakery
• Post Office
• Vet Clinic
• Doctor’s Office
• Flower Shop
• Farmer’s Market
• Grocery Store
• Hair Salon
• Ice Cream Shop
• Pizza Parlor
• Holiday Wrapping Station
• Hot Cocoa Stand
• Space Center
• Taco Truck
• Camping Theme
• Apple Orchard
• Pumpkin Patch
• Fire Station
• Laundry/Laundromat
• Sandwich Shop
• Car Repair Shop

Dolls for Pretend Play

Having dolls that represent a variety of ethnicities in the dramatic play center will provide opportunities for cultural identification for some students, and acceptance for others.

I found all of the dolls pictured here at my local Goodwill store for a few dollars each. I was lucky enough to have a parent make doll clothes one year, and I bought the rest of the clothes for the dolls at the toy store since I didn’t have to pay much for the dolls.

Props For The Dramatic Play Set Up

Having props to enhance opportunities for oral language and skill development is essential in your dramatic play area. Providing your students with props in your dramatic play area can increase engagement and enhance opportunities for critical oral language and skill development.

It’s important to give careful thought and consideration about which props to add to your center. You can use real life props, purchase some made specifically for pretend play, or source others inexpensively at the dollar store. You can even make some props yourself.

Old purses, wallets, keys, old cell phones without the sim card, and used gift cards are always extremely popular in the pretend play center. I found these purses at a garage sale. Save your old gift cards, wallets, and keys to use in the dramatic play center, you can ask your family and friends to save these things for you too.

Favorite Props for Pretend Play

There are many pretend play props readily available to purchase in stores. Here are some of my personal favorites.

• Pretend Food
• Pretend Garden Salad Set
• Play Dishes
• Hot Cocoa
• Multicultural Food Set
• Rise and Shine Breakfast Set
• Bake It Play Set
• Grow It Set
• Camping Set
• Puppy Play Set
• Fix It Set
• Veggie Set
• Fruit Set
• Pizza Set
• Birthday Cake
• Mailbox
• Cash Register
• Doctor Kit
• Grocery Stand

Dress Up Clothes for Pretend Play

Don’t forget to add dress-up clothes to your dramatic play area. You can attach hooks with adhesive backing to the wall to hang up your dramatic play clothing. My favorite place to get dress up clothes is the thrift store. You’ll find a wide variety of fun clothes that won’t break the bank at your local thrift store. Another way to get inexpensive play clothes is to shop the costume sales after Halloween.

If you have a budget and would like to invest in some kid-friendly dress-up clothes, here are a few popular choices:

• Firefighter
• Astronaut
• Doctor
• Veterinarian

Print-Rich Dramatic Play Center

It’s important to include print in every center in your classroom. You can easily add print to any center by providing your kids with books to go along with a theme. Place a tub or basket of books about homes, clothes, food, and families in your home living center, including cookbooks and magazines. This will help them understand that there are many different types of texts that are used for different purposes.

When you make books available in this center you’re help your students understand the importance of reading – especially to the baby dolls! Show your kids how to read board books to the baby dolls as they hold and rock them in the play center.

Printable Labels

Labels are another way to create a print-rich environment in your play centers. When it comes to cleaning up the dramatic play area, labels are your best friend! If you label absolutely everything in this center it will make clean-up time go so much more quickly and smoothly for everybody!

You can take pictures of each item in this center with your phone, then add them to a Word or PowerPoint document. You’ll also want to add words along with the pictures on the labels to help create a print rich environment in your classroom.

If that sounds like a lot of work, I’ve got your back! These printable labels are included in my home living dramatic play kit. You can print them out and use in your pretend play area to help organize your pretend food and dishes.

Here are some ideas for adding print to popular play themes in your dramatic play set-up:

• Grocery Store – ads, coupons, sale signs, shopping lists
• Post Office – price charts, postcards, stamps, labels, envelopes
• Restaurant – menus, signs, order forms, guest checks
• Fire Station – checklists, signs, reports, maps
• Doctor’s Office – sign-in sheets, signs, checklists

Teaching Trailblazers™

Having a dramatic play center in your classroom is awesome! But let’s face it, a dramatic play center can’t make you a better teacher. The best place to discuss teaching best practices and get the support you need is in the Teaching Trailblazers. We have many printable lessons and on-demand video trainings to help you become the best teacher you can be! If you want to get on the waiting list for the Teaching Trailblazers, do it soon so you don’t miss the next open enrollment period!

History of education in the city of Murmansk

Address: 183031, Murmansk, Gagarina street, 10
Phone: 310-584

garden number 73. Our kindergarten is located near Semenovskoye Lake in Leninsky district. Near the recreation park. Naydenova O.P., oceanarium; MOIPCRO, formerly the Inter-Union Palace of Culture. nine0003

The kindergarten was designed for 140 children. Worked 6 groups. (2 groups of early age, 4 preschool). Currently 90 children, these are 5 groups (2 groups of early age, 3 preschool)

Our labor veterans - they are highly professional specialists:

Kindergarten is over 45 years old. And all these years we have been building not just a children's a garden, but a house of joy. More than 30 years of experience in preschool No. 73:

Worked in a kindergarten for over 25 years and were awarded a Certificate of Merit Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation educators:

These are enthusiastic teachers, special people. They are completely give themselves to children. Differ in working capacity and pedagogical skill. They have accumulated interesting experience, a set of ideas. They always ahead of all, these are creative, restless people, seekers and creators. For children, their presence is a joy, it is when everyone is interested. nine0003

More than 25 continue to work alongside teachers years old junior teacher Farbitnik Irina Vasilievna. This is a hard worker irreplaceable person. Her group is always cozy, clean and bright.

Worked for more than 25 years, and now on a well-deserved rest of the cook Belousov T.N. and Cherkasova V.F. Thanks to their skillful hands catering in kindergarten has always been of a good standard. AT In the 1990s, they took part in city exhibitions of children's dishes. nine0003

New young people join the teaching staff specialists, they are annual participants and diploma winners of city competitions: in 2000 "My vocation is an educator", since 2003 "Steps of Mastery".

For more than 30 years, the kindergarten has been working in the art aesthetic direction. The teaching staff helps preschoolers discover the beauty and diversity of the world. Our children have many hobbies: they love different activities, visit creative studios with pleasure and sections. nine0014

Our main achievements ...

1997 - Winners of the city festival "Magic the world of fairy tales"; children's dance competition "Spring drops". Diploma winners district competition of the young reader "Golden leaf fall". nine0014 1998 - Winners of the district song contest "Crystal note". Diploma winners of the city exhibition "Modern approaches in aesthetic development of a preschool child”; city ​​sports festival Athlete's Day.
1999 - Winners of the district festival "Colorful Serpentine". Diploma winners city ​​sports festival dedicated to the Day of Russia.
2000 - Diploma winners of the city exhibition “Education and Culture. Murmansk-2000". Participants of the city exhibition of children's drawings "My Murmansk"
2001 - Winners of the district contest "Miss Charming"; district competition "Healthy lifestyle". Participants of the congratulatory speech at the city festival "Spring Fantasies".
2002-Participants of the celebration for the Day of the city "Drawings on asphalt". Diploma winners city ​​review-competition "The theater is a miracle", dedicated to the International theater day; district festival of Russian folk art. Laureates city ​​competition of preschool institutions. nine0014 2003 - Diploma winners of the city sports festival. Participants of the anniversary holiday school number 30.
2004 - Participants of the congratulatory speech at the city competition young educators "Steps of Mastery"; Anniversary concert to 40th anniversary of the preschool institution.
2004-2009 Diploma-winners of the annual athletics races.
2005 - Participants of the congratulatory speech at the conference of pedagogical employees of preschool institutions "Formation and development of the system of public education in the Kola North"
2005-2009 Annual winners of competitions of creative works and for the best drawing for Santa Claus. Lapland Reserve, Murmansk Region Diploma winners city ​​competition "My mast city". Participants of the city exhibition children's drawing "Me and sport"
2005-2009 Annual participants of the city sports festival "White teddy bear. "
2006 - Participants of the congratulatory speech at the city competition "Steps of Mastery"; Exhibitions of children's drawings “My Murmansk; Prize-winners children's music festival "The theater is a miracle" Diploma winners of the city sports holiday "Athlete's Day"
2007 - Participants of the anniversary concert of the Palace of Culture. S.M.Kirov
2008 - Diploma holders of the championship in sports dancing for the Governor's Cup among young children; New Year's mini-football tournament.

Our history…

We have outlined the main events very briefly and placed photographs of different years. Comparing pictures, you can see external changes and the immutability of many life situations. The past touches present and is reflected in a new form. nine0003

In the 80-90s foreign delegations visited the kindergarten. Positive records of tourists and Gratitude from the agency of the State Committee for Tourism The USSR was preserved in the historical book of a preschool institution. nine0003

From 1984-2003 in kindergarten on the basis of school number 30 for the first time in the city, classes for six-year-olds were organized.
In 1986, the kindergarten staff collaborated with the Murmansk Regional Committee for the Protection of Peace, has gratitude from the Regional Commission for Assistance To the Soviet Peace Fund for active participation in the activities.
At 19In 86, the team of employees of the nursery-kindergarten No. 73 took 2nd place in the competition in general physical education and basketball among employees of preschool institutions in Murmansk. (Diploma city ​​committee of trade unions)
In 1987, the kindergarten team took 3rd place in the public review fire safety, work of voluntary fire fighting units among the institutions of the district. (Diploma of the executive committee Leninsky District Council of People's Deputies)
In the difficult years of the 90s, a children's fair was organized in the kindergarten. things on which parents exchanged clothes "From mother to mother". Thank-you articles were published in the newspapers "Murmansky Vestnik" in 1996, "Evening Murmansk" 1996, "Polar Truth" 1997-1998 "To the children's garden to the fair”, “Good idea”, “Good deed”.
In the 90s, horseback riding was organized for children from the "Amateur Club horses. " nine0014 In the 90s, musical creative meetings were held with the composer Popov V.A., his collection "Northern Songs" with a dedicatory inscription has been preserved in kindergarten.
Pupils are annual participants in sports competitions, holidays, athletics runs.

Holidays are the most joyful events for children.

Teachers successfully cooperated with the Murmansk Pedagogical school, now the Pedagogical College and with the Murmansk State Pedagogical Institute, now a university, for the organization of pedagogical student practice.
Seminars, open events for students of courses of the Murmansk Regional Institute for Advanced Studies education workers. Accumulated pedagogical experience, which is constantly was presented to colleagues and received positive feedback, interesting master classes were held. nine0003

Materials from the experience of teachers are published in collections: "Sprouts of Health" (experience of teachers of the Kola North) Murmansk, 1999. compiler Kuznetsova V.M. MOIPCRO. "Holidays and entertainment with children in the North "(collection of scenarios) Murmansk, 2002. Research Center "Pazori", compiler Kovaleva N.A. MOIPCRO.
Some events are connected with the history of the city of Murmansk
From 1962 years Murmansk house-building plant began to work and during the functioning of the kindergarten, they became our chefs until 1990
In 1964, for the first time in Murmansk, Fisherman's Day began to be celebrated, and we began to participants in festivities.
In 1965, the Mir cinema opened, and my children and I began to visit movie screenings.
In 1972, the Inter-Union Palace of Culture opened, we began to visit children's activities and a corner of nature. (now MOIPKRO)
In 1973, we went with our children to Cape Zeleny, where a memorial stone, and since 1974 a monument to the defenders of the Arctic (“Alyosha”) has been erected.
In 1985, the House of Pioneers was built on Semenovskoye Lake (House of Creativity "Lapland") and for the first time we began to attend children's events..
In 1992, an oceanarium was opened on Semenovskoye Lake, and in 1996 a permanent the building of the oceanarium, the children saw the animals of the northern seas for the first time. nine0014 In 1996, a children's theater center was opened. Our children have become members musical performances.
In 2004, a fountain was installed on Semenovskoye Lake, we went with children enjoy the water.
Our children were present at the opening of the first flight of the Parovozik on Semenovsky lake; in 2009 a playground on Gagarin street.
In 2009, the kindergarten turned 45 years old, and in the preschool a creative, close-knit team of like-minded teachers continues to work. After all, it is so important that every day early in the morning a child with a smile met a smart and sensitive teacher. nine0003

Kindergarten playground equipment Don’t know what to choose 9001 Get a complete free consultation

Ask a question

Hint

• Choose a playground without leaving home
• Why is the playground made of wood?
• How to choose a slide, accessories and play elements?
• How to choose a manufacturer? nine0274

• home
• For buyers
• Articles
• Playground for kindergarten

A playground is an obligatory element of the yard of a preschool educational institution. On it, kids spend time in good weather, participate in outdoor games, just relax. A large number of various shells on the playground is the key to the harmonious development of the child.

Requirements for playgrounds in kindergarten

• The territory of the educational institution site must be zoned according to the groups. The calculation is made as follows - a minimum of 7.2 square meters for a toddler and 9 square meters for a preschooler. In addition, a common area for outdoor physical education is required in the kindergarten. Its size is not less than 250 square meters, if up to 150 people are involved in the kindergarten. In institutions with 150 seats and above, two children's sports grounds of 150 and 250 square meters are equipped. This is necessary for the safety and comfortable stay of kids on the street. nine0274
• Kindergarten playground equipment must include the following items:
• wooden or metal deck. It is necessary so that children have somewhere to hide from the rain, the hot sun. It should put a bench for resting kids. In addition, the veranda serves as a kind of beacon, letting the kindergarten students know where to gather on the playground;
• sandbox. It will be interesting for preschoolers of any age to play in it: build castles, tunnels, sculpt "little cakes"; nine0274
• swing. This attribute is not found on every site, however, it is interesting for children. Colorful swings with a height of no more than 60 cm are safe for kids, and they will be happy to ride them while walking;
• physical education equipment for a playground in a kindergarten must be present at each site. It includes Swedish walls, handrails, horizontal bars;
• slide. A favorite place for all kindergarten kids. It is necessarily equipped with protective sides up to 50 cm high and a protective crossbar at the start. nine0274
• Equipment for outdoor playgrounds in kindergartens must be made of safe and high-quality materials - plastic, metal, wood, covered with non-toxic paints and varnishes. In addition, it must correspond to the age groups of children - younger, middle and older.

The basic requirements for a playground for kindergarten children are spelled out in the document GOST R 52169-2012. Sanitary standards are defined by SanPiN 2.4.1.2660-10.

How to design a playground in kindergarten

Here, the scope of creativity is limited only by the imagination and creativity of educators. Making a playground in a kindergarten is an interesting and at the same time low-cost activity. You can make an exclusive and functional design from improvised materials:

• you can make an orthopedic “health path” from old large Lego parts, bottle caps, along which children can walk barefoot or in socks and train their feet;
• from a sawn cylindrical beam, excellent stumps of various sizes will be obtained, which will be placed on a developing sports ground in a kindergarten; nine0274
• it is really possible to make a car from boards and car tires, from processed timber - a boat or a small house for playing in the "shop";
• wooden playground can be painted in bright colors or painted on them with your favorite characters, turning it into a fabulous place;
• ceramic tiles and concrete mortar turn into sheets of water lilies, a mini-pond with plastic frogs and water lilies living there;
• stones make a beautiful alpine slide with flowering plants and decorative garden figurines.

  ---

  Learn more

  • 
    Early maths skills
  • 
    Lowercase fancy g
  • 
    Letter links for names free
  • 
    Vowels sounds words
  • 
    Simple reading for kindergarten
  • 
    Guided reading level look up
  • 
    Activities for social skills
  • 
    1St grade kid
  • 
    Math help for first graders
  • 
    Books about bugs for preschoolers
  • Timed reading for kids