I noticed my 2 1/2 year old walking around the back yard the other day with a small rectangular rock nestled in the palm of his hand. I watched as he excitedly moved it around as he energetically bounded around the lawn, obviously in his own world. I wondered where his imagination had taken him. Then I heard the giveaway: “Boop! Boop!” He was holding the rock out, extending his arm toward a ride along car in the yard. “My boop-boop!” He said as he looked up with a huge grin of satisfaction, having clearly just set the alarm on his toy car with his own personal key fob.
I’ll admit that I was pretty excited too. This type of symbolic play — where an object represents something else — may seem like inconsequential play to some, but it is actually a hallmark of pre-literacy.
Whenever a person reads, they’re scanning across a series of symbols. Together, those symbols make words, and those words carry ideas. But what we actually see or hold is very different that what is going on in our minds. When children play pretend, they are making this same cerebral leap. A block can be a phone. A rag can be a baby. A rock can be a key fob.
And marks on a page can be a story.
This is why I get so discouraged when I hear about early education classrooms doing away with dramatic play areas. The foundational learning that goes on in pretend play is powerful for children.
In addition to the symbolic play that prepares the brain for reading, pretend play often goes hand in hand with language practice, dialogue development, and story structure, all of which continue to prepare young minds for the eventual tasks of literacy. Add to that the great practice kids get with problem-solving (negotiating roles and themes), perspective taking and empathy building (imagining how another person feels as they assume their character), fine motor control (putting costumes on and off), among many other skills.
Getting rid of the dramatic play area in the name of improving literacy is like getting rid of your running shoes so you can spend more time running.
As Fred Rogers said, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”
If you’re looking to promote pretend play, there are some great ideas below to get you going. These are the types of ideas I would especially look for when I was preparing a dramatic play area for a classroom of preschoolers. If, however, these kinds of set ups are overwhelming for you personally, don’t worry too much. Sometimes, all a kid needs is a rock. Imagination will do the rest.
Spread the word about why play matters with Why We Play!
Tents, Forts, & Hideouts: Special Spaces for Kids {NJC} Sometimes all kids need is a special space!
What’s in Your Dramatic Play Center? {Pre K Pages} A fantastic resource list, particularly for classrooms!
Car Dashboard: An Upcycled Sensory Board {And Next Comes L} Control panels like this have been some of the biggest hits in my classrooms! Any levers, knobs, lights, or buttons are big draws! I used an old stereo with the sliding tuners once as a spaceship control panel and the kids went wild for it!
Toys vs Laundry Basket {Inner Child Fun} “Who needs toys when you have a laundry basket?”
Book Inspired Bear Hunt Activity {B Inspired Mama} Pretend play based on an experience with literacy is perfection!
Let’s Play Birthday Party! {NJC} Especially in school settings, I love the idea of organizing prop boxes by theme. Makes set-up so easy!
Want More Ideas?
Check out these 10 Incredible Set Ups for Dramatic Play from Modern Parents Messy Kids!Still More:
Follow my Dramatic Play board on Pinterest.
Read more on the Importance of Building Strong Foundations Through Playful Learning
Want to read more about why playing pretend matters to child development? Check out these posts:
A Part of Their World: Adult Roles in Child’s Play
Enchanted Learning: The Benefits of Fantasy Play for Children
Yes Yes Yes!! Pretend play is so important!
What a beautiful illustration you used to show the incredible importance of pretend play. My class cannot get enough of pretend play, and I relish in that.
I couldn’t agree with you more. My heart is broken to see the changes in early childhood education over the past several years. Sharing across my networks!
Yes! My oldest has autism and we have been so blessed by therapists who have loved and encouraged him through play. He is an amazing, brilliant boy who has learned not only to access but to thrive in the world around him because of learning through play. He and his sister have vivid imaginations and we want to foster that in any ways we can. Will share this great post!