Dramatic Play Prop Boxes
Circus Prop Box
The importance of dramatic play was outlined in another of my blog posts, this blog overviews some fun, inexpensive open ended dramatic play ideas for your early learning center or home. When children dress up or play in the Dramatic Play Area, they try on various roles which help them process and understand the world. Young children are developing social skills and the ability to play with others, while using their imagination and being creative.
Dramatic play is not just a “housekeeping” kitchen center but we’ll start there.
Housekeeping, it is familiar to most children and therefore a great starting point for dramatic play. All that is needed are items you have in your home or center already. Old phones, pots/pans, bowls, spoons, kitchen towels and some open ended materials such as blocks, river stones or fabric pieces that can be used imaginatively. Open ended materials (materials that have no specific intended use) add richness to dramatic play.
Here are A FEW other ideas for dramatic play centers/areas or prop boxes.
Restaurant/pizza parlor- discarded pizza boxes, play money, order pad, phones, aprons, cash register, stove, play pizza cutter, cardboard circles (pizzas) with felt on one side, felt toppings – green peppers, mushrooms,
Grocery Store-play food, empty food containers/boxes, paper bags, cash register, play money, sale flyers, grocery cart/basket, aprons, purses/wallets, coupons, paper and pencil for lists
Ice cream shop – ice cream scoops, paper cones, empty ice cream tubs, play money/cash register, apron and hat, order pads/pencils, wipe-off board menu, empty whipped cream spray cans
Flower Shop-Plastic flowers, water can, tools, seed packets, smock, plastic pots, cash register, money, tools, phone, garden hat, ribbon, pen and paper
More Themes:
Farm/zoo/jungle safari/pet shop/vet office
Camping/fishing
Lemonade Stand
Archeological dig
Doctor Office/Eye Doctor/Dentist/Office
Construction site
Airplane/train/boat
Use your imagination and add inexpensive hands on materials for discovery. Remember to add open ended materials to stimulate the imagination. Boxes, tubes, plastic containers, pieces of fabric, paper, writing instruments and tape can be anything the child wishes to create.
I’d love to hear your additions!
Positive Environments, “yes” spoken here!
What does a positive learning environment/home look like?
There are several things I have learned and continue to learn that create a positive rewarding environment in which to live and grow. The following ideas can be used in all work and/or play environments.
One. Treat all children equally. Treat all parents equally, treat all colleagues equally! Playing favorites contributes to an environment of negativity. Eliminate inequities.
Two. Setup the environment/daily home with different things for the children to do, make sure there are clear expectations for behavior, list how many children in each area (for child care centers), and what happens with the materials. The environment should act as a teacher. Put out different things for young children to find/discover. An example of this working well is the library. We tell our children to use quiet voices in the library, the library has engaging books and materials set up for hands on use. Children behave in the library exactly the way they have been asked to by the adult and the environment setup.
Three. Phrase everything that you can in the positive, this is hard at first, but you’ll catch on. A “YES” environment is so much calmer and fun and builds a young child’s self-esteem. As an adult you will feel less stress and more happiness. A “NO” environment limits a child’s ability to build self-esteem and self-regulation. A “NO” environment reduces us all to “I’m not good enough” or to seek pleasing behaviors.
Examples are; when running, state, “we walk inside”, when playing in our chair, we state, “we sit in our chair during dinner”, When the child melts down, we state, “I see you are having trouble, how can I help? This is how we can “use gentle hands”, all positive statements when really you want to yell…..STOP running, NO hitting, etc. No, no, no, no and we stop listening! 
Try to restate the “rule” “We walk inside” and then “I need you to walk inside, we may run outside.” Lastly if necessary give a choice, “we may walk inside or you may hold my hand” or some other option that you find acceptable. The goal is for young children to internalize behavior by making sure the environment is all about what they CAN do.
Four. Use observational/describing remarks to help the young child describe his/her feelings like, “you sound angry”, “you look sad”, “that was a loud yell” acknowledge the feelings and help children manage them by adding; “when you are ready, I will help you”. Limit asking questions. Too many questions can overwhelm the younger child, they really don’t know why they have misbehaved or had a temper tantrum, no need to ask.
Five. Help children to internalize their own self-worth by praising LESS. Encourage young children by acknowledging what has been done by stating what they have done. “You made a red line”, “you asked for help”, “I see you put your mittens on”. The goal is for children to feel internally proud of their accomplishments not for you to impose pride. If you say “good job” or “I like it” the child gets no intrinsic value.
Six. Stay calm. If you lose control of your emotions, the kiddos will get the upper hand, and FEED off of this negative energy resulting in chaos and negativity. Practice deep breathing or put on soothing music.
Seven. Check your expectations for behavior for given age, perhaps they are too high or too low! Remember children mature at different rates so not all behaviors should be expected at the same age for all children.
Teaching styles and temperaments
Do different teaching styles and temperaments help develop a well-rounded child?
Children will encounter many different types of personalities and temperaments in their educators. The skills they develop from each will make them stronger more resilient adults. We have all developed certain traits based on how an educator impacted us, some negative and some positive.
I have observed over the years that it is not necessary to be huggy and cuddly to be an excellent early childhood educator. What does this mean, don’t we want our young children to be surrounded by baby talking, cooing people? This is not a necessity to being a good educator. Being kind and fair is. Children must adapt to the teaching style, just like in life. There is not a one size fits all profile for the early educator. The key to success is good relationship between the family and the provider, in other words, “a good fit”.
Ask yourself, are the needs of the children being met beyond custodial care? Is there a loving trusting relationship bond between the educator and the family and the child? If there is it is a good sign that educator is a good caregiver.
I work with educators from age 18-60. We are not all the same in our approach and style. Some of us have more physical energy and flexibility, some of us see more humor in situations, some of us are cuddly, and some of us are reserved. ALL of us care deeply about your children and we meet the basic tenants of caring and committed professionals.
Let’s go outside
Let’s go outside! Many people spend 90% of their time indoors. It has gotten harder to get young children away from the screen. As we get ready to head outside for more hours than in the winter, let’s explore some of the benefits of being outdoors.
The first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions going outside is fresh air, sunshine and time to renew my spirit and energy. It takes a great deal of reserved strength to be a great teacher and getting outdoors is a way to renew those reserves. Time spent enjoying nature helps me renew not only my physical energy, but my emotional outlook as well. These benefits are enough to make me head for the door. I believe this to be true for young children too.
Jan White in her Exchange (May/June 2013) article, “Somersaults and Spinning: The Serious Work of Children’s Neurological Development says a vast amount of movement is required for the brain to fully develop and then fine-tune its ability to interpret all the motion possibilities. This also needs to be matched with vision, hearing, and sensory information coming from inside the body (proprioception). Rather than actually balancing and staying still, it is movement in gravity that makes this sensory system wire up in the brain and body. It is perhaps not surprising to find that these are the very things that young children most want to do and find such pleasure in!”
Young children need to move their whole bodies. Young children need to throw, catch and kick a ball, run, jump, dribble and shoot a ball, climb, chase, gallop, swing, crawl, and be loud. Young children need to dig, fill, spill and carry. They also need space to whirl, twirl, roll and bounce. All of these activities build the large muscles of the body necessary for a sense of equilibrium in relation to space and gravity, which is necessary for school readiness. All these movements can be accomplished during unstructured play time or under the direct instruction of a teacher or a coach. Games of toss and catch, kicking into a goal, shooting a ball into a basket, hopscotch, jump rope and hula hoops are some traditional playground games. Remember drawing with chalk on the driveway or painting with water on the building are great ways to strengthen muscles.
Young children need the sensory experiences of sight, sound and touch. Grass, trees, and bushes offer up a variety of sensory experiences. Use all of your senses when outdoors.
At Friendship Garden Nursery School we are in the process of building an outdoor learning center, as an extension of the indoor classroom. Since undertaking this project I have been investigating some different elements to include. Outside of the above mentioned playground activities our area will include a space to make music, a mud kitchen, tables and benches for outdoor discovery, paint easels and a big chalk board.
In this area we will also enjoy sun catchers and wind chimes. There will be baskets of pinecones and tree blocks. The goal is to assault the senses with nature.
Now, go outside and have fun!
Friendship
Friendship
What lessons about friendship can we learn from a preschool child?
I had opportunity lately to reflect on friendships when I moved from being in close proximity to some of my friends. I’ve seen friendships develop in preschool and continue into adulthood. I have friendships of my own that started in grade school. I’ve also known people who were “my friends” and are no longer.
Everything I know about friends I learned as a preschool teacher. Young children are my window into friendships simplified.
- Friendships are based on common interests. If you don’t like the same thing you are not friends.
- Conversely, opposites can attract and a balanced friendship can bloom.
- You can be friends one minute and enemies the next and friends again just like that. True friends let this happen and don’t judge why.
- Best friends eliminate drama, because they really want to keep playing together.
- Forever friends are the friends you don’t see for a while and when you do see each other again, you scream, hug and pick up where you left off without skipping a beat. I’ve seen this in young children who are separated for a week due to illness or family vacation. The reunions are joyous.
- Friends ask you to play even if you don’t ask them. Sometimes they just silently join you.
- Friends like your stuff, even if you don’t.
- They support you in doing something silly, adventurous or off beat but advise you not to do something dangerous.
- Friends never covet your stuff, they share yours and theirs.
- Good friends are happy for your happiness, even if they don’t understand why you are happy! They are happy because you are happy.
- Friends allow other people to be a part of your friendship.
- They give you non-monetary gifts whenever you are together.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Go spend time with a friend.