How to Make Pretend Play Fun for Toddlers

Dramatic play is one of the most enriching learning centers in your classroom. What kind of things should you add to your area?

I use a lot of different items in my toddler classroom to keep my kids entertained during their long day in daycare. One of my favorite things to watch are my kids dressing up in clothes and pretending to have a picnic with play food. Here are some ideas for things to add to your "dramatic play" area in your classroom, or just some things that your kids at home would enjoy.

Dress-Up Clothes

I love when my toddlers dress themselves in over-sized clothes and hats. For my dramatic play area, I like to add shirts from different companies that my kids would recognize. I somehow got a hold of a few shirts and uniforms such as a Chuck E Cheese polo shirt, a Home Depot apron and a baseball uniform shirt - all of which are way too big for them. It's fun to let them pretend because they recognize the logos on the clothing. I add several different hats too, like a plastic fireman's hat, a policeman's hat, construction workers hat (like Bob the Builder's hat) and a big black cowboy hat. I have so many funny pictures of the kids in these hats, with the hat coming down over their eyes. Other things I like to add from time to time are purses, dress shoes, slippers and sunglasses. As with any toy in a toddler classroom, make sure there are no small parts on the clothes, hats or accessories. Anything like a button or a sequin can be easily detached, swallowed and choked on. Use caution when choosing dress-up items for your kids.

Play Food and Dishes

My February lesson plan is all about food. We are really having fun with this theme, especially when it comes to adding things to the dramatic play area. My kids already have a container full of plastic food, dishes and utensils, but I've added a few other items to the area. Kids like things that are familiar to them. With this in mind, I collected a few food boxes and containers from my house, taped the openings shut with packing tape, and let my kids use them in their play kitchen. Containers you could use include cereal boxes, juice bottles/cartons, cracker boxes and seasoning bottles (like garlic powder and parsley bottles). Wash all of the containers and dry them thoroughly before taping them shut. Also remember not to use any containers that contained food that your kids are allergic too. For example, if you have peanut allergies in your classroom, don't use a peanut butter jar, even though it's empty and clean. I wouldn't recommend using any glass containers, because they could be dropped and broken. Use your common sense, and use only containers that are safe for toddlers.

Other items I like to add are cooking utensils and pans. You can easily find these items at the dollar store, and for a few bucks you can provide real utensils for the kids, instead of the toy ones. The dollar store sometimes has cookware, like simple pots and pans. These would be good for toddlers to use too. As long as none of the utensils are sharp, they can be great additions to your play kitchen area.

Baby Dolls

I have 3 girls in my classroom, all of which love to play with baby dolls. Provide at least 4-5 dolls (I don't think Barbie is appropriate at this age) along with dress up clothes, bottles and a stroller. My toddlers are so smart and imaginative, that I'm amazed at how they really take care of their dolls, as if the dolls were real babies! I'm shocked at how much they imitate my actions, I can see it in the way they take care of the dolls. They will wrap the dolls in blankets, and cuddle them. Sometimes, I will see them with a doll, covered with a blanket, patting its back - patting backs is how I get my kids to sleep at nap time. If you have girls in your classroom, or girls of your own, baby dolls would be a great investment. For a classroom, you can get multicultural dolls as well, with a variety of clothes to wear.

The dramatic play area is supposed to be a learning center for children to use their imaginations and pretend play. By providing a variety of items and toys to play with, your kids can keep busy for a while, engaging in productive play. Although my kids in my classroom are only a year old, it amazes me how they use their imaginations and imitate me, as shown in their play. Watching them play is a lot of fun!