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(Unit 5) Topic 7: The Dramatic Play Learning Center

2 Clock Hours of Early Childhood Education

What is Dramatic Play?

Topic 7 Page 2

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” – Fred Rogers

The dramatic play center is a key component of early childhood classrooms and is a favorite area among young children.

Dramatic or pretend play happens when children assign and accept roles and then act them out based on the actions they have seen in real life. They may use props and tools in ways they have seen adults use them before, for example using kitchen items to create pretend food. Dramatic play helps children learn about their community as well as a variety of careers. This is a time for children to pretend to be someone different and express themselves.

According to NAEYC, “research provides more and more evidence of the positive effects that well-developed play has on various areas of child development, such as children’s social skills, emerging mathematical ability, mastery of early literacy concepts, and self-regulation.”

While it is the idea of some that dramatic play has limited educational value, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Play is a fundamental part of the learning process for children. It helps them develop skills necessary for problem-solving and leadership. Most importantly, it helps children develop a love of learning.

Dramatic Play for Infants

Dramatic play encourages infants and young children to play freely while exploring different roles. Many dramatic play activities work well for infants despite their limited mobility and body control. The dramatic play activities may actually help infants improve gross and fine motor skills by interacting with age-appropriate props and toys. Choose props that are safe for the specific age group, avoiding small pieces and sharp corners.

Infants delight in the sudden appearance and disappearance of familiar faces during Peek-a-boo games. Try introducing novelty to this familiar routine by having brightly colored, stuffed animals disappear and reappear for infants. Accompany the animals with animal sounds and change the position where the animal disappears and reappears to encourage head turning, visual tracking, and visual discrimination.