How to Keep Children Engaged in Dramatic Pretend Play

Dramatic and pretend play is essential for children’s development. Kids also develop necessary social and problem-solving skills from playing independently and with peers through pretend play. Many preschools and daycares choose pretend play furniture to help encourage dramatic pretend play. We all know that children are easily distracted, so how do you keep kids engaged in these activities longer? These tips below can lead to more fun learning experiences with dramatic and pretend play with young children.

Plan Your Space

A simple way to encourage more dramatic and pretend play with small children is to have a dedicated space for these activities. Pick an area of your classroom for dramatic pretend play and take time to consider furniture, toys, and props that complement the furniture. For example, a dedicated corner could be set up as a play kitchen. A perfect furniture set for this space would be the Jonti-Craft 4 Piece Culinary Creation, including a refrigerator, stove, sink, and cupboard. Another example would be to set up an area with a Jonti-Craft Imagination Station with chairs ready to watch the show. 

Sometimes, just setting up a dedicated pretend play space for kids is all they need for extended play and learning time. If your classroom space allows, set up multiple areas of your classroom dedicated to dramatic play. Then, when you have open playtime during the day, kids will take advantage of the various options to use their imagination.

Pick the Right Furniture

When setting up a pretend play area, it’s essential to have quality and realistic pretend play furniture. Your classroom play furniture should be easy for a child to use, built with quality, and look realistic to keep children interested. Durable play kitchens and other dramatic pretend play furniture will hold up strong to fast-moving children and not get in the way of their imagination.

Think about cleaning and storage when considering your dramatic play furniture. Now more than ever, cleaning and sanitizing are crucial in classrooms and preschools. Our play kitchens and pretend play furniture are crafted with a durable wood or laminate that’s easy to wipe down. The shelving and cabinets incorporated in the play furniture can also act as storage for any props or small toys. While children’s play is most important, it’s equally as important for the play furniture to be easily maintained.

Play furniture that is on the child’s developmental level and selected with purpose will open the door for engaging role-play and interactive play for all kids. With Kindermark Kids’ selection of dramatic play furniture, you can rest assured they will last for many years.

Include Various Props & Toys

Most people know to include play food with play kitchens and puppets with a puppet theatre, but we encourage you to get creative. Consider other props and toys you could include to extend the dramatic pretend playtime. This variety of props will give kids the opportunity to experience new stories and play.

For play kitchens, include different types of play food and unique cooking utensils. Offer dress up costumes on the Dress Up Island Costume Storage that feature unique careers like an astronaut or zookeeper. The options are truly endless to keep pretend play fun and exciting for children.

Diverse toys and props allow you to encourage more engaging pretend play cost-effectively. Your play furniture can always serve as the foundation, and smaller items can bring new experiences. If space and storage are limited, there’s a way you can still offer variety.

Rotate Items Out

The last tip to help keep kids engaged in dramatic pretend play specifically helps keep pretend play new and exciting. If you have the resources, rotate your dramatic pretend play themes out every so often. You can utilize the same dramatic play furniture for several activities. When children have new items to choose from, it can reignite their imagination and keep them interested longer.

An example would be using your Jonti-Craft Imagination Station as a puppet show theatre filled with different dolls and puppets for children to choose from. After some time, switch out the puppets for play food and play money to complete a pretend store. The children will love acting out the role of a store owner and customer with their peers. For items not in use, we offer flexible storage options for your classroom.

With these tips in mind, you are on your way to providing exciting times of play in your classroom! Kindermark Kids offers more than just pretend play furniture. We offer a variety of collections of everything your classroom or childcare facility may need. It’s our mission to provide developmentally appropriate furniture and toys that serve both the teachers and children. Find more tips for classroom furniture and play on the Kindermark Kids Facebook and Twitter.

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