CHAPTER 7

Dramatic Play

78 BLANKET FOLD

Materials

Baby blankets

Activity

Use the baby blankets in your housekeeping area for a hands-on geometry lesson. Pass out blankets to a small group of children and have them sit on the floor. Ask the children to spread their blankets out. What shape do they see? (A square or rectangle.) Count the sides. Then have the children fold their blankets in half. What shape do they see now? (A rectangle or triangle.) Count the sides again. Fold the blanket one more time. What shape do they see now?

Hint: Children will enjoy “teaching” dolls and imaginary playmates how to fold blankets in all sorts of ways.

Dramatic Play

79 UNDER THE SEA

Materials

Water table or washtub

Toy sea creatures

Small aquarium net or kitchen strainer

Activity

Fill a water table or washtub with water and add plastic sea creatures in assorted colors. Provide a small aquarium net or kitchen strainer and let the children “fish” for creatures of a particular color.

For Younger Children: Ask the children to fish out the creatures, then help them sort them according to color.

80 COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY

Materials

Discarded camera

Activity

An old camera (without film) makes a great prop for dramatic play. Children will enjoy pretending to photograph each other and everything else around them. To extend the learning, ask a child to take a picture of something that is of a particular color or shape.

Dramatic Play

81 THE ICE CREAM SHOP

Materials

Colored blocks or balls

Activity

Setting up an ice cream shop in the dramatic play area provides many opportunities for color and shape learning. Use colored blocks or balls to represent the different ice cream flavors. As you play with the children, “order” cones in different color or “flavor” combinations. Challenge them to discover how many combinations they can make from three colors.

82 SPECIAL DELIVERY

Materials

Shoe boxes

Envelopes

Pen

Scissors

Activity

Select a few shoe boxes. Cut a slot in the top of each shoe box and label each box with a different color or shape. Then mark a supply of envelopes to match the “mailboxes.” Ask the children to take turns delivering each letter to its matching mailbox.

Dramatic Play

83 THE FLOWER MARKET

Materials

Artificial flowers

Plastic vases

Toy cash register and money

Writing supplies

Activity

Set up a flower shop in your dramatic play area. Ask families for donations of unwanted artificial flowers and plastic vases. Set out these materials, along with a toy cash register and play money. Join the children in arranging floral displays. They may wish to sort the flowers according to color, shape, or size. Have them write signs and receipts for their transactions. As the children play, encourage them to talk about the differences and similarities among the artificial flowers.

Extension: To make this a special treat, add a few real flowers (dandelions are fine) to your flower market. Talk about how to care for cut flowers. What do flowers need?