Dramatic Play at Home

Your child loves to imitate your actions. This is both natural and foundational to the learning process. When your child role plays, he learns how to problem-solve and make sense of the world around him. Offer your child a range of dramatic play props and materials to foster a love for learning.

Dramatic play prop ideas:

• Collect old dishes, clothes, jewelry or other unused items.
• Recycle or reuse materials to make new props. For example, a PVC elbow makes a great play telephone.
• Save food packages for use in a pretend house or store.
• Inspire your child to be creative during pretend play by adding clay, playdough or other items that can be sculpted into anything.
• Cut out photos, characters from cereal boxes or drawings to create play people. Turn play people into puppets by taping on craft sticks.
• If you purchase toys, consider those that have multiple pieces and do not have batteries. These toys encourage greater creativity.
• Keep it organized. Label and use boxes, crates or other containers to sort, store and organize play props.

Help your child collect other items for role-playing as pirates, astronauts and even rock stars. Helping your child’s dramatic play collection grow will help your child’s imagination grow!