Dramatic play is an important part of early childhood development. This document outlines materials, diversity, skills developed, and the teacher's role in dramatic play. It recommends providing a variety of costumes, foods from different cultures, and accessible materials. Dramatic play helps children develop relationships, language, role-playing, collaboration and problem-solving skills. The teacher's role is to facilitate learning by assisting, questioning, and helping children develop play themes while maintaining a safe environment.

1. DRAMATIC PLAY
Center
By: Jasmine Bryant & Taniqua Norman

2. Item #1 Dramatic Play Materials
 Housekeeping: Dolls, Child size furniture for
indoor and outside, Kitchen, dishwasher,
sink, refrigerator, stove, telephone, table set,
clothes (hat, shoes, and gender related
clothes) utensils, Play food (from all cultures,
ages and races).
 Kinds of Work: Office, transportation,
construction, farm, store, fire-fighter, doctor,
mailman etc.
 Fantasy: animals, dinosaurs, storybook
characters
 Nationalities: to learn more about
themselves and their cultures
 Leisure: Camping, sports, shopping
 Need enough materials where 3 or more
participants can participate without
competition.
 Plenty materials to encourage more complex
play.
 Outside furniture and toys: Dolls, strollers,
Cars, Gas pump, Kitchen, House
 Organized storage

3. Dramatic Play Materials

4. Diversity in Dramatic play

5. Item #2
In order to ensure that diversity is represented
in the Dramatic Play Center
 There will be a variety of costumes provided for the children to pick from that
represent different careers as well as cultures. ( i.e. police man, Teacher, Doctor,
Truck driver)
 There will be variety of food from different cultures provided to be added to the
selection in the food market.
 The Dramatic Play area will be accessible to all children and provide things that are
labeled in larger print as well as in different languages like English, Spanish, and
French and the environment being built where it is accessible to children with
disability. (i.e. Wheelchair accessible)

6. Item # 3
What skills and abilities do children develop
from the experience of having daily access to
materials and interactions during dramatic play?
 Examine and develop relationships through parallel
play.
 Practice Language in different contexts ("Let's play
hospital, you'll be doctor, you'll be the doctor first.
You wear this.")
 Explore Roles (“How does it feel to be...)
 Invent stories & sequence of events
(Acting like a character from a favorite story book).
 Collaborate with others.
 Invent symbols to stand for real objects "Let's
pretend this block is our phone.")

7. Social and Emotional Benefits
 As children are negotiating all the
situations inherent in dramatic play in
a group setting, they feel a sense of
accomplishment and pride.
 They learn how to model safe and
socially appropriate ways to use
equipment and materials.

8. Item # 4
Teacher's Role in Dramatic
Play

9. Children depend on teachers to provide
basic needs which are:
 Physical Safety-Provide a safe environment and know the
procedures for an emergency.
 Emotional Security-A place where children can learn how to deal
with situations in a positive way.
 Sense of Identity-Behavior from children that helps them develop in
a reasonable way.
 Affiliation/Belonging-Regardless of the circumstances, children feel
accepted.
 Chance to Be Capable-Let children be risk takers with reasonable
boundaries.
 Sense of Purpose: Help children set goals.

10. What is the teacher’s role in facilitating
learning with Dramatic Play materials?
 The benefits of dramatic play are maximized when teachers facilitate play.
 Teacher support is a necessary component of developmentally appropriate
practice.
 Teacher interventions during play take on many possibilities such as; assisting with
problem solving, questioning, redirecting behaviors and helping children develop
play themes.

11. Domain: Approaches to learning
 Strand 3: creativity and inventiveness
 Indicators: C11
 represent reality in several ways
 You may observe your child play act as adult
 Strategies:
 that help support providing props, time, space and freedom to choose activities.
 encouraging child to try new things in a new way.

12. Domain: Language and literacy
 Strand 1: Listening and speaking
 A9: Progress in abilities to initiate and respond appropriately in conversation and
discussion with peers and adults.
 You may observe the child extend/expand the thought or idea expressed by
another
 Strategies:
 Providing opportunities for the child to communicate with other children.
 Help aid children with proper word usage when holding peer conversations.

13. Domain: Cognitive and General Knowledge
 Strand 3: Learning about Families and Communities
 D4: Expanding Relationships
 You may observe your child Participate in parallel play with other children
 Strategies:
 Providing children various opportunities to interact with various of children and
adults within the room.
 Providing multicultural materials and opportunities for the child to play in diverse
environments with other children.

14. Domain: Social and Emotional
Development
 Strand 3: Expression of feelings and self-regulation
 C5. use toys and other objects purposefully and safely.
 You may observe the child use props in pretend play that demonstrate the
understanding of their intended purposes (i.e. using play dishes and food to prepare a
lunch)
 Strategies:
 Engaging with children in dramatic play, demonstrating the intended way to use toys
and other materials.
 Modeling safe and socially appropriate ways to use equipment and materials.
 Reinforcing rules that promote safety and respect the rights of others to share and have
turns using materials.