Dramatic play at home

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:

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30 Dramatic Play Ideas For Year-Round Imagination

Little ones have big imaginations! One way to harness these is through the use of dramatic play. There are numerous benefits to dramatic play. For starters, it can bolster creativity and encourage self-expression. This type of play can also build real-life skills. The dramatic play presents opportunities to practice cooperation, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills. Keep reading for 30 dramatic play ideas for your young ones.

Who doesn’t love to travel? Kids will love pretending they are going on a trip. They can pretend to be pilots, flight attendants, or travelers. Get some suitcases they can pack and print out tickets to pass out, and let them think of fun places to go.

Learn More: PreK Printable Fun

Whether they are the oldest, youngest, or somewhere in the middle, your little ones will enjoy taking care of the baby. Gather some supplies- diapers, bottles, and blankets, and let the kids take a gander babysitting. This dramatic play center may be especially beneficial for those kids expecting a younger sibling.

Learn More: Homeschool Giveaway & Freebies

Does your child love baking with you? Maybe they’d like to operate their own bakery! Their shop can be stocked with many play pastries- cookies, cupcakes, and croissants, or you can bake some goods together to be managed in the dramatic play bakery. Don’t forget to print play money for a register!

Learn More: Pocket of Preschool

Many little ones love the outdoors, and you can merge that love with some dramatic camping play. This type of play can take place outside if the weather is fine or inside if it’s not. Pillows, sheets, and couch cushions make for a great tent, and don’t forget the marshmallows for a yummy snack!

Learn More: Teach PreK

Like a kid in a candy store… That’s a phrase everyone’s heard. Kids love candy. Why not create a candy store dramatic play center? Your little ones can pretend to make and sell candy. 

Learn More: Homeschool Share

Queens and kings have been in the news a lot lately, so it’s the perfect time to use a castle dramatic play center. Fancy dresses, crowns, and jewels can help bring the kingdom to life and spark the imagination. Whether they’re hosting a feast or fighting dragons, your kids will have a blast.

Learn More: KinderCare

Many kids love to shop. Why not create a dramatic play center where the little ones run a clothing store? This can be especially fun if you have old clothes and hangers so the customers can try on shirts, pants, and shoes. Add in play money to make sales.

Learn More: Preschool Learning Online

Do your kids love Starbucks as much as you do? A coffee shop dramatic play center can tap into your little ones’ inner baristas. They can imagine making cappuccinos, frappuccinos, and hot chocolates galore. Maybe they can even provide your morning cup of joe! 

Learn More: Where Imagination Grows

The idea of playing doctor has been around for decades. Undoubtedly, your kids would love a dramatic play center where they can pretend to be doctors and nurses. They’ll love treating each other for illnesses and broken bones, and they’ll love it even more if you step in as a patient.

Learn More: Prekinders

What better way to get little ones into healthy food options than a dramatic play farmer’s market? Gather some play fruits and veggies and let the kids do the rest. They’ll love pretending to buy and sell the latest locally-grown organic produce! 

Learn More: PreKinders

Ask little kids what they want to be when they grow up, and many of them will say they want to be a firefighter. They’ll love a dramatic play center where they can gear up and save the day- whether they’re battling an imaginary blaze or rescuing an imaginary cat.

Learn More: Fairy Poppins

Do your little ones have green thumbs? Gather together some silk or artificial flowers, and your kids can indulge in some dramatic play at their very own florist. They can build bouquets and water flowers, even pulling blooms together for an imaginary wedding or birthday.

Learn More: Mrs. Leidy Business Academy

A grocery store dramatic play center is tried and true. This is a great way to teach kids about shopping. Introduce some addition and subtraction with play money. 

Learn More: Pocket of Preschool

Kids love getting their hair done. They also love experimenting with makeup. Pull together a dramatic play center with brushes, combs, lipstick, and blushers, and they can let their imaginations run wild. No real scissors, though, as you don’t want to risk a hair-cutting disaster! 

Learn More: Imagination Soup

What’s better on a hot day than some ice cream? Create a dramatic play center where little ones can pile scoops of play ice cream into play cones or make sundaes to drool over. Kids will love imagining all sorts of flavors to serve to their friends.

Learn More: The Primary Parade

Literacy is such an important skill. Why not make it fun with a dramatic play library center? Allow little ones to host read-aloud, help their friends find books, and check out books with homemade library cards. This type of dramatic play can foster an early love of reading.

Learn More: Books and Giggles

Your littles may not be old enough to go to the theater, so bring the theater to them. Pop some popcorn, set up kid-sized chairs and a TV, and pick a kid-friendly movie. Little ones can sell paper tickets, snacks, and a play usher. This dramatic play center will be a hit!

Learn More: The Cozy Red Cottage

Kids love to party. Through dramatic play, kids can plan their own parties for any occasion. In this center, kids can make a to-do list, decorate a space, and perhaps even pretend to make a cake. Art projects in this center might include crowns and invitations for more party fun.

Learn More: Dream Big, Little One

Arrgh! Your little ones may love dressing up as pirates (think eye patches, pirate hats, and pretend hooks) and searching for hidden treasure. There are some great books about pirates, including Pirates Don’t Change Diapers. Read the book, and then the kids can follow a map to find hidden coins.

Learn More: Encourage Play

Ask a kid about their favorite food, and many times, the answer will be pizza. A pizza shop may well end up as their favorite dramatic play center. Gather together some pizza props, pretend toppings, boxes, and plates, and write a menu. Have your little ones pretend to make and serve their favorites.

Learn More: Little Lifelong Learners

Just as with firefighters, many kids want to be part of the police unit when they’re older. A dramatic play station can allow kids to pretend to be a policeman or policewoman while they’re still little. They can take fingerprints, play detective, or give out tickets as pretend community helpers.

Learn More: Fairy Poppins

This dramatic play center can be tied to a writing center. Little ones can create letters or pictures to be sent to the post office center. Create some stamps, a way to sort mail, and provide packages to be weighed and mailed. Include math by having kids calculate postage and make money.

Learn More: PreKinders

Whether they’re in school or getting ready to go to school, a school dramatic play center is one that all kids will love. Kids can make lesson plans, hand out papers, and teach their peers. Your little ones will love to get a chance to play the teacher. 

Learn More: Preschool Teacher 101

Kids love to explore the world of science. They can look through microscopes, examine objects, or perform experiments in a science dramatic play center. Collect some magnifying glasses for close-up viewing, and supply paper for drawings and notes. Don’t forget the goggles and lab coats! 

Learn More: No Time for Flashcards

The sky’s the limit for little imaginations! Blast off with a dramatic space play center! Little ones can pretend to work in mission control, getting ready to launch a shuttle into space. They can pretend to craft items used on spaceships. They’ll love observing objects from the moon. 

Learn More: Turner Tots

Let little ones dress up in fancy dress-up clothes and have a tea party. In this dramatic play center, kids can serve tea and cakes to each other or to special stuffed guests such as their teddies. Kids can prepare the treats and plate them, and they might even fancy writing up a menu for the party! 

Learn More: Teaching 2 and 3-Year-Olds

27. Toy Store

A toy store dramatic play center can allow little ones to work with play money and practice math. They can also greet and serve their peers as customers and practice their manners. Just gather toys you already have and let the kids display and sell them.

Learn More: No Time For Flashcards

Most kids have a natural affinity for animals. In a dramatic play vet clinic, little ones can take care of all different varieties of stuffed animals. They can check out animal heartbeats, give them shots, and groom them. You can include pretending prescription pads and animal treats for authenticity.

Learn More: Teaching with Haley O’Connor

The weather is part of every child’s life. Explore the weather in a dramatic play center. You can set up a TV studio for kids to report the weather, have clothes ready to dress up for different types of weather, or collect objects from simulating weather events.  

Learn More: Classroom

Tap into a child’s love of animals with a zoo dramatic play center. Little ones can act as zookeepers and take care of animals, teach them tricks, and create habitats for the different types of animals. Props such as a variety of pretend animal food will bring this zoo to life.

Learn More: Turner Tots

Related posts:

Performance Dom - watch free online in good quality. Bolshoi Drama Theater named after G.A. Tovstonogov. Actors and roles of

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Drama

Drama

1982

152 min

USSR

2 episodes

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Episode 1

Great Drama Theater named after G.A. Tovstonogov

Fragment of the article by Nikolai Pesochinsky "The House That Dodin Built", published in the magazine "Teatr" (2014):

“Against the backdrop of resounding success, Dodin puts in MDT a continuation of Abramov's epic about the post-war period. It's called "House", and it's about how the metaphorical "house" is falling apart, the natural ties of people in a society where there is no light and meaning, where fear extracts cruelty and pettiness from people. "Adult" MDT artists played. The same naturalistic mythologism from a dense fabric of sensual details. The same end-to-end visual musicality.”

Fragment of an article by Irina Boikova "Paradise Lost", published in the St. Petersburg Theater Journal:
“In this performance, for the first time, the artistic principles of the Dodinsk theater of prose were declared. When you remember the "House" in 1980, it is not individual episodes that come to mind - the very first minutes of the action. The air of the performance, special, "not from the familiar theater", the atmosphere on the stage and in the hall.

At the moment when Lizaveta - Shestakova ran out to meet the brothers - a sharp feeling of happiness ... In the general stream of imitations (life and theater) that flooded our stage of those years, "House" returned a sense of life, reality - its taste, movement, rhythm, - lost in a lethargic dream of "stagnation".

“The House”, as it was in the early 80s, seems to me today the best performance by Dodin in MDT. And already in "The House" all "ends and beginnings" converged, all the problems of the director's aesthetics, which created the phenomenon of the Small Drama Theater of the 80s. The decade began with talk of a theatrical crisis. A crisis always brings to life attempts at new directions in art. The Dodin Theater was one such attempt.

Among the Dodino productions of the 80s, Dom was the most experimental. “The audacity with which the director destroyed the dramatic structure of the action bordered on risk, the free composition of “House” was united into one whole only by the author’s intonation. “A performance-confession,” wrote A. Svobodin.

Two acting jobs were a discovery in "The House": Tatiana Shestakova's Lizaveta and Sergei Bekhterev's Grigory. Criticism found prototypes: Sonechka Marmeladova and Prince Myshkin, a righteous sinner and a blessed one. But first of all, they were children, both were distinguished by the harmony of emotions and plasticity, "the infantile grace of the soul. " At the moment of Lizaveta's meeting with her brothers, the director brought two small children onto the stage, destroying the measure of conventionality that the theater presupposes. But next to Shestakova and Bekhterev, the appearance of children seemed natural, childhood in the "House" grew into a poetic image-symbol. The performance balanced on the border of artistic truth and moral preaching, but kept within the boundaries of art.

Scenes of strife interrupted and crushed the high order of the lyrical scenes, the weightless matter of the performance gradually became heavier and sank. And then the director used force to break and again restore the course of events, uniting different lines of action and all its participants with the scene of the death and funeral of Kalina Dunaev. The heavy long cry of Evdokia (V. Bykov), picked up by the funeral march, the red coffin in the aisle of the auditorium, the ringing brass of the timpani. At the center of the performance was the image of destruction and death, literally reproduced in the actual aesthetic plot of the destruction of structural ties, death and resurrection of the artistic organism: through shock and "surgical" montage.

The second shock was supposed to be the death of Lizaveta (a wooden horse fell heavily, a searchlight beam shone into the hall). But, the most experimental of all Dodin's performances of the 80s, "The House" was also the most free, revealing the ability of self-development. Lizaveta's death did not come as a shock, because it did not seem accidental. She was not a tragic heroine, but the laws of the tragic came into force: her death brought some kind of enlightenment to the performance, turning the ideas about the values ​​of Pekasha's "world" upside down.

Directors: Oleg Ryabokon, Leo Dodin

Cast: Anatoly Kolibyanov, Sergey Bekhterev, Tatyana Shestakova, Alexander Kozhevnikova, Sergey Kozyrev, Masha Alekhina, Igor Lavrov

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