FREE labels and signs to make your Kitchen Dramatic Play area organized, functional and fun!
Building Functional Pretend Play Centers in an Pre-K Classroom
What's the one activity that always brings a smile.......Play-doh! Who doesn't love play dough? I've never been able to resist grabbing some and giving it a squish. Kids are no different. They just love play doh and who could blame them? Play dough is my "go-to" activity for the first few weeks of the year. When we have "meet the teacher" or open house, I always have a small container on each desk so the kids can start playing while I chat with the parents. It's a true lifesaver. So let's use this strong attraction to sneak in a little learning. At the beginning of the year, I love using these fun cards. I can easily differentiate for all my levels. I use the simple "practice" cards for those kids who need a little extra support. Click here for a free set of my practice cards Using the play-doh helps build finger strength and dexterity skills. These skills are so important as our kids learn to write, draw, and use scissors. I can let the kids explore letters, numbers, and shapes. I love using these because at the beginning of the year my kids need a lot of time exploring materials and at the same time I need them to become familiar with the expectations of center time. Play dough is the perfect way to transition into a more academic center. (Just what my boss is looking for). So I make sure I add a "student objective" sheet so my intentions and goals are clear. Let's face it, play-doh looks beautiful the first week, but you let the kids have freedom with playdoh and it won't be long before the play-doh is one big grayish-greenish mixed-up mess. And although I have no problem with them mixing the colors, there is nothing like bright vibrant clay. So my answer is, make it yourself. I have tried lots of play-doh recipes but I've discovered the secret ingredient ....... Cream of Tartar. No, you won't find it on your fish sticks! You'll find this perfect little item in the spice aisle. If you are a baker, you might know Cream of Tartar if you've ever made an Angle Food cake. But there is something about this magic little ingredient that keeps the play dough smooth and the consistency just right. If you'd like a copy of my favorite play-doh recipe and a set of play-doh practice cards click here. I hope you are having a great back-to-school season. Remember to take care of yourself. Teaching little humans is hard work! So treat yourself to take-out pizza Friday night so you can relax. You can see more about this center here.
Take kids on a sensory adventure as they explore color, light, cause & effect and more with our interactive center! Place it on the floor or a table and invite kids to cycle through 8 colors—with the tap of their hands or feet! Or use the multifunction remote to flash or fade between colors. The plug-in unit features a plastic LED-illuminated surface that stays cool to the touch.
How To Play In Centers Visual Instructions include step-by-step procedures to play in centers with real-life pictures. Includes prompted and unprompted communication options as well! Centers Included: Cars Puzzles Sensory Reading Art ( painting, watercolor painting, coloring) Play Dough Blocks Trains House Keeping/ Dramatic Play (this one does not include real pictures yet but stay tuned!) Other Great Resources from The Alternative Way to Pre-K Centers Fringe and Core Board for AAC Users Center Signs and Tags: Pre-K, Preschool, and Kindergarten Creative Curriculum Study AAC Fringe Boards Focus Wall Bundle Monthly Classroom Newsletter: Editable IEP Bundle Adapted and Interactive Book Bundle -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can also follow me for the latest news on products and sales. If you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you! Follow me on Instagram: @thealternativewaytoprek Check out my Blog: The Alternative Way To Pre-K Follow me on Facebook Check out my Pinterest Email me: [email protected] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Did you know that you can receive credit towards future TpT purchases by reviewing this product? If you enjoy this product, please leave a review on the product page or through “My Purchases” under “My Account” at TpT. Thank you!
Choosing your dramatic play setup can be a little overwhelming, especially when you go to Pinterest and see these fantastic transformations that will be loved by your little learners. So, I created this giant dramatic play round-up with ideas that can be done on a budget, created with your students, and will be loads of fun for your young children.
On the Blog
From helping your little one learn about science to making magnetic robot faces, here are eight fun activities to help introduce kids to the magic of magnets.
Take a tour of our kindergarten classroom to see 7 of our favorite play-based centers, where we play and learn during choice time.
60 pages of block center STEM challenges with real pictures of famous landmarks to add more STEM learning opportunities into your day.
Farm dramatic play or pretend play center is a TON of fun for students! As you know, I LOVE the pretend center, and I also enjoy having students take a role in setting it up. The kids (and I) are having a blast and learning a ton. If you want to do it in your classroom, head over to my TPT store and check out Farm Dramatic Play.
Our school has an Outdoor Learning Committee that I am a part of. We all feel very strongly that the environment where the children play outside is just as important as the environment inside our school. We have worked hard to make our playground an area where the kids can run, exercise explore and yes...learn! Outside play plays an important role in children's development! They are working gross motor muscles and getting must needed exercise. They learn how to solve problems such as when social disagreements arise. They learn empathy as they help friends who get hurt. They learn to take risks and see where their limits are and feel empowered as they take those risks and succeed. They create games and role play. They learn science concepts as they discover things in nature and learn to look closer and ask questions about what they see as they discover new things. They learn kindness as they try to save an insect in danger or nurture a plant. They are literally learning about life and life skills as they play outside, so we knew the environment needed to support that. We had an area that we were having some problems with in the middle of our asphalt area. We wanted to turn it into something all of the kids could explore and benefit from and decided to create a Barefoot Sensory Path. We came up with a design and my husband figured out how to make it so that it would be sturdy and last. Our amazing PTO gave us funds to purchase the materials and we had fun shopping at Lowes for items that would provide the sensory experiences we were hoping for. Our team came in on a Saturday and went to work. Our maintenance team had dug the area down four inches so that it would be even with the asphalt. We put down a layer of paver sand, and then the 4x4's. We glued some materials to 2x2 pieces of plywood. The sections were all 2x2. We filled the sections with paver base and tamped it solid. My son even came and helped! Here is the finished frame. Of course, we had to test it out! Here is the finished path!! We were so excited for the kids to try it! It was a huge success!! The kids absolutely loved walking on it with bare feet, crawling on it and feeling with their hands and even laying in it enjoying the warmth radiating from it from being in the sun. Another new area we created was an area to create roads, ramps, etc. using scrap wood, cars, signs and other loose parts. This lovely lady below had the vision for this area! We also added an area to really work those gross motor muscles. Mr. Doyle created a boundary to keep it all contained to one area. We filled it with stumps, logs, and large branches. The kids have created obstacle courses and love lifting these up to show how strong they are! They jump, balance and create here. They collaborate and problem solve. They use both critical and creative thinking skills. This is a great area to develop 21st Century Learning Skills as they play! For our nature lovers, we have an area with plants for them to explore and observe. Some are edible such as peppermint and fennel. We have cone flowers, milkweed, irises, sunflowers and more. This area is a great place to explore and observe insects also! Here are some other things on our playground where they can let lose and have fun! Our playground is still a work in progress! We have many more ideas that we want to implement some day! One step at a time!
So over the last 3 weeks my grade 1 students in the UAE have been learning a lot about space, the solar system, and astronauts. This was a...
Here is a round up of 15 different versions of a DIY pretend Play Letter box. My kids loved playing Post Offices. It allowed us to write on post cards, play with stamps and as the got older we sent…
This Space Station dramatic play center helps kids learn about space and engage in pretend play. It's suitable for kids in Pre-K, Preschool and
Turn your pretend center into an auto shop dramatic play area for your preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students.
Grab your FREE hair salon scissor skills printable to use with your preschool and kindergarten students! Use at home and at school!
12 IN or 7 IN (45) craft vinyl record customized by you! ‘Primary color’ option applies to the color of original cover art label on center of vinyl. CUSTOM IMAGE OPTION** applies to center ‘primary color’ cover art. Custom based off photo or detailed description given by customer (licensed and copyright images will be altered in some way) !!ATTENTION!! ‘Custom image option’ is NOT the same as a painted image on the outer edge of vinyl. This option ONLY applies to the center vinyl cover art. DECORATIVE PIECE ONLY/NOT SUITABLE FOR RECORD PLAYER USE. ALL VINYL ARE DEEMED UNPLAYABLE PRIOR TO PAINTING, IN ADDITION WE DO NOT ADD PAINT TO PLAYABLE VINYL. THIS WILL CAUSE THEM TO NO LONGER BE PLAYABLE. TO REITERATE THESE ARE DECORATIVE ONLY AND WILL NOT PLAY IN YOUR RECORD PLAYER. THEY ARE FOR DECORATION ONLY. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. EXPOSED VINYL WILL HAVE SCRATCHES DUE TO THE FACT THESE ARE UNPLAYABLE! WE ARE NOT USING ‘PERFECT’ UN SCRATCHED VINYL FOR ANY ORDERS UNLESS CUSTOMER SUPPLIES SAID VINYL BUT THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED. All vinyl are made to order and will take 4+ days to paint and dry ** ***PLEASE NOTE*** we do NOT press vinyl with requested audio because we are NOT a record company. These are strictly for decorative purposes and cannot be played. ALL SALES FINAL
Take your dramatic play center to new heights with this airport dramatic play! Find new ideas for setting up your airplane, security check, & check-in!
Go on a trip across the country or across the world when you take off from this Airport Dramatic Play Center for the Early Childhood Classroom!
Let's look at the stages of block play. By offering the best blocks to support your child's current stage will ensure a successful block play experience.
PlayDrMom shares the many ways she uses playdough in play therapy.
Activities that develop early math skills are our favourites! We love working on our number recognition, counting skills, subitising and 1:1 correspondence. This “Build a City” activity…
Dramatic play vet animal hospital theme for your preschool or pre-k classroom. Easily transform your dramatic play center into a vet clinic.
This Wildlife Safari dramatic play center is a fun way for kids to learn about African animals. It's a fun addition to any animal, safari or jungle theme. Why is dramatic play important? Pretend play helps kids to learn about themselves, the world and how things work. Dramatic play centers also help to strengthen a child's language development (e.g. expressive language, vocabulary), social skills and play skills. Children learn a lot through play! YOU MAY ALSO LOVE... >>> Zookeeper Craft & Literacy Activities >>> Zoo Animal (Jungle Animals) Crafts & Activities BUNDLE What I love about this pack! I finally got to make a cardboard jeep - so much fun! It's fun pretending to go a safari and spot the animals Real photos of African animals in addition to realistic looking animal labels (great to use with animal figurines) Fun printables such as walkie talkies, maps and safari hats Included in this pack: "Wildlife Safari" banner Signs and labels to set up different areas (Wildlife Safari, Safari Base Camp, Ticket Office) Role play lanyard labels Real life photos of African animals to include as part of your display Caution signs (e.g. "Caution lions in area", "Stay inside the vehicle") Safari map Printable safari hat, computer, camera and walkie talkies Open and closed signs Opening times & clock Write on printables (check in log, tour guide checklist, animal spotting, safari map) Safari tour tickets Safari price lists and promotion posters Price tags Printable wallet and play money Instructions with photos I hope you love this resource! YOU MAY ALSO LOVE... >>> Bug Lacing Cards {Fine Motor) >>> Farmer's Market Dramatic Play (Pretend Play) >>> Flower Shop Dramatic Play (Pretend Play) >>> Life Cycle Bundle - Frog, Butterfly, Bee, Ladybug, Chicken & Silkworm! FOLLOW ALONG! ★★★ Click here to follow me to get regular updates about new resources and awesome freebies ★★★ JOIN THE FP COMMUNITY! >>> Fairy Poppins >>> Instagram >>> Pinterest >>> Facebook Sign up to my free newsletter on my blog to receive updates about new resources and freebies. QUESTIONS, ISSUES OR REQUESTS Please feel free to contact me via the "Ask a Question" tab. I value your feedback and am happy to help. Need help with printing, downloading or opening files? Click here.
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It's an important consideration. Should you have free choice or rotation preschool centers? What are the pro's and cons?
Add elements of sight, sound, touch, taste and smell to your preschool centers to integrate science and play while students explore their senses.
This Camping Dramatic Play Center helps kids learn about camping and engage in pretend play. It's suitable for kids in Pre-K, Preschool and Kindergarten,
Your free printable is on its way to your inbox now! Find help here if you need it. While you’re waiting, read below for even more resources to supplement your teaching. More Teaching Resources You’ll Love Teaching is HARD work, I know! But these fully-developed, done-for-you preschool resources are sure to be a huge help. ClickKeep Reading
Centers or "Play centers" are centers that are intentionally planned; with a purpose in mind. A lot of my play based centers are planned aroun
Learn how to make your own dramatic play center and ideas of what to turn your dramatic play center into. Farmers Market, Cocoa Stand, and more...
Printable play dough task cards to help your preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students stay on task in the play dough center.
