These dramatic play centers are a super fun way for kids to engage in pretend play and develop their social skills!
Below are some ideas of dramatic play centers I love such as a teddy bear hospital and ice-cream shop.
I find most of my dramatic play resources at the local dollar store or the toy section of department stores. Some resources that I find useful are: toy cash register, toy medical kit, bandages, toy telephone, clip boards, a variety of colored cloths and empty containers and baskets. I typically work with whatever materials I have available, so often make things such as a “pizza oven” out of a cardboard box.
I hope you enjoy checking out the following dramatic play centers! :)
1. Teddy Bear Hospital
This dramatic play center is a cute alternative to the traditional hospital home corner.
Some resources I found useful for setting up the Teddy Bear Hospital include: teddy bears, toy first aid kit, bandages, empty baskets for storing items, empty travel containers and glitter containers for the teddy medicine, toy beds, clip boards, dolls beds and blankets. A cash register and telephone are also quite helpful for the reception desk.
The Teddy Bear Hospital printables include a range of resources such as a display banner, signs, labels, patient forms, booking forms, patient folders and more.
There is also a super cute Teddy ambulance printable. To make it simply glue the printable onto an empty copy paper box.
Click here to find out more.
2. Veterinary Clinic
A Veterinary Clinic dramatic play center is a fantastic way to teach kids how to care for pets.
Some resources I found useful for setting up the Vet Clinic included: toy pets, pet puppets, a toy first aid kit, bandages, empty baskets for storing items, empty travel containers and glitter containers for the pet medicine, stackable baskets (or boxes) for pet bays, litter trays filled with shredded paper or newspaper, pet bowls, clip boards, blankets, pet carriers (or baskets to act as pet carriers). A cash register and telephone are also quite helpful for the reception desk.
A fun thing to do with this role play center, is to create a “pet of the week” display. You can use the photos of the pets provided or kids can display photos of their own pets. You can also set up a role play pet wash or pet grooming station.
A variety of Vet Clinic printables are available such as a banner, signs, labels, pet word wall with real pet photos, patient information printables, patient ID bands and more.
Click here to find out more.
3. Ice Cream Shop
The Ice Cream Shop dramatic play center is always a bit hit with kids – especially at summer time.
Some resources I found useful for setting up the Ice Cream shop include: a toy cash register, empty baskets for storing items, an ice cream scoop, napkins, red pom poms for pretend cherries, ice cream cups and spoons.There are commercial plastic ice cream toys you can buy, I bought a set a while ago from K-Mart. But you can just as easily make play ice cream out of play dough or use painted foam balls.
I had a lot of fun making popsicle sticks. I simply cut the popsicle shapes out of colored felt and then used craft glue to attach them to popsicle sticks. To make the popsicle stick holder I covered an empty tissue box with colored paper. Then I cut a few slits in the top with the end of a knife.
I thought it would be cute to make a toy ice cream truck. To make it I simply glued the printable onto an empty copy paper box.
A variety of printables are available such as a shop banner, signs, role play purses and money, role play lanyards, flavor labels and more.
Click here to find out more.
4. Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria
These Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria dramatic play centers always popular with my students!
Some resources I found useful for setting up the Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria include: empty pizza boxes, a toy cash register, empty baskets for storing items, napkins, cups, plates, cutlery, aprons and chef hats. I was lucky enough to find toy pizzas at K-Mart, but you can easily make pretend ones our of cardboard and craft materials. I found the red and white checkered cloth at a craft store that sells fabric but I’ve also seen plastic checkered cloths at local dollar stores.
To make role play spaghetti, I use thick white wool and large red pom poms for the meatballs.
I made a DIY pizza oven out of an empty copy paper box. I just covered it with white paper and cut it in such a way that there was a door to open. I also made a pizza paddle out of cardboard to get the pizza into the oven. A local pizza shop was kind enough to give me some empty pizza boxes to use for my class, so it’s worth asking. Kids also enjoy looking at examples of real life menus.
A variety of printables are included such as display banners, bunting, signs, labels, menus, order forms, booking forms, role play lanyards, role descriptions, printable drink labels and more.
Click here to find out more.
5. Dinosaur Dig
Setting up a Dinosaur Dig dramatic play center is so much fun!
Some resources I found useful for setting up the Dinosaur Dig include: toy dinosaurs, salt dough fossils (I made these), measuring tools (e.g. ruler, measuring tape), magnifying glasses, snap lock bags for fossil samples, a variety of baskets to store dinosaur dig equipment, pretend bones (easy to find at Halloween time), buckets and a variety of brushes.
There are lots of recipes for making salt dough, typically all you need it flour, salt and water. I’ve included the one I used with the printables. Basically, I made the salt dough and then used dinosaur figurines to make fossil imprints in the dough. To make the imprints stand out more, I brushed them with a tiny bit of brown food coloring.
A variety of printables are available such as signs, labels, role play lanyards, role play description posters, a fossil salt dough recipe and more.
Click here to find out more.
6. Dinosaur Museum and Souvenir Shop
Setting up a Dinosaur Museum and Souvenir Shop is a fun way to get kids learning more about dinosaurs.
Some resources I found useful for setting up the Dinosaur Museum include: dinosaur figurines, salt dough fossils, rocks, dinosaur books, a variety of empty baskets and containers, burlap fabric for a rustic feel and a cash register.
I made this pack, so that a lot of materials for the shop are already included. So there things kids can sell in the souvenir shop such as printable post cards, puzzles, dinosaur trading cards, stamps and coloring pages. Labels for all of these items are included. There is also a museum post box you can make by gluing a printable onto an empty cereal box.
A variety of printables are included to set up your Dinosaur Museum and Souvenir shop such as a display banner, bunting, signs, labels, price tags, play purses and printable money, printable shop merchandise and more.
Click here to find out more.
I have so many ideas for future role play packs, so look forward to making those in future. I hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the dramatic play centers featured in this post.
Remember the best role play centers are built with your imagination and the materials you have available. Don’t worry if you don’t have a particular prop. Kids are generally just as happy to play something made out of recycled materials. I once made a box oven with the kids in my class because we didn’t have one. They enjoyed playing with the box oven for the entire year!
Happy teaching!
