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You are here: Home / Dramatic Play / 25+ Dramatic Play Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

25+ Dramatic Play Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

June 9, 2018 by Sheryl Cooper

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This post might contain affiliate links. CLICK HERE for more information. Thanks for visiting!

This post might contain affiliate links. CLICK HERE for more information. Thanks for visiting!

Inside: Providing dramatic play activities is a great way to engage toddlers and preschoolers in role playing. Social skills are strengthened as the children interact with one another, too!

Let’s hear it for play! These dramatic play ideas for toddlers and preschoolers are open ended and fun!

Pretend play is an important part of children’s development. They learn by imagining and doing. If you stand back and observe children involved in pretend play, they are often mimicking what they’ve seen adults do. We take all of this into consideration when planning what to place in our dramatic play area.

  • How will it be meaningful?
  • What props will work best?
  • How should it be organized?

The dramatic play area is also a great place to build communication skills, also. Dialogue is created as children are part of the pretend play.

In this post I’ve selected over 25 different dramatic play activities that can be done anytime of the year.

Scroll down towards the bottom of this post to find my FREE printables for the dramatic play area! 

25+ Dramatic Play Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

 

Dramatic Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Before I begin sharing this collection, it’s important for new teachers to know that they do not need to change out their dramatic play center with each theme. It takes time to build a collection of materials (see our favorites at the end of this post). You can easily keep your dramatic play area stocked with a few staples, as I share in this video:

Dramatic Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Flower Market (with Printables)

The Garden Shop (Pre-Kinders)

Pumpkin Stand

Apple Stand

Honeybee Stand (Planning Playtime)

Dramatic Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Winter Bear Cave Dramatic Play

Post Office

Movie Theater (Research Parent)

Zoo Animals (Teaching Mama)

Dramatic Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Veterinarian Office (with Printables)

Bird’s Nest (Creekside Learning)

What’s the Weather? (Pre-K Pages)

Space (Catch a Star Ideas)

Dramatic Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Spaghetti Shop (Where Imagination Grows)

Pizzeria

Ice Cream Shop (Learning 4 Kids)

Chinese Restaurant

Bakery (Pre Kinders)

The Taco Bar (The Mama Workshop)

Donut Shop (Sara J Creations)

Dramatic Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Doll Diaper Station (Happy Hooligans)

Our Babies (Teach Preschool)

Baby Nursery (Pre-K Pages)

Making Pancakes (The Imagination Tree)

Tea Party

Dramatic Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Hair Salon (Pre-K Pages)

Pet Grooming Salon (Sunny Day Family)

Grocery Store (Paper and Glue)

Clothing Store (Pre-K Tweets)

Dramatic Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Free Printables for Dramatic Play

Click on the photos for the free pdf download:

free toddler preschool picnic printable packet

free preschool dramatic play bakery printable packet

Free Toddler Preschool Post Office Printables

Free Toddler Preschool Hot Cocoa Printable Packet

free toddler preschool gingerbread cookies printable for dramatic play

Free Thanksgiving Dinner Printables for Pretend Play

free veterinary dramatic play printables

 

You can find more dramatic play activities on my Pinterest board.

 

25+ Dramatic Play Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

 

favorite dramatic play toys

More toddler and preschool centers resources:

  • Our Favorite Toddler Learning Centers and How to Set Them Up
  • How to Set Up Preschool Learning Centers

Most popular videos about toddler and preschool centers:

  • How to Set Up Learning Centers
  • How to Handle Preschoolers Not Using Certain Centers
  • Tips on Managing the Toddler and Preschool Block Center
  • Putting Together Table Activities During Centers Time

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Dramatic Play, preschool, Toddlers Tagged With: dramatic play, preschool, printables, toddlers

About Sheryl Cooper

Sheryl Cooper is the founder of Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, a website full of activities for toddlers and preschoolers. She has been teaching this age group for over 20 years and loves to share her passion with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone with young children in their lives.

Previous Post: « 11 Preschool Language Development Activities
Next Post: The Secrets to Handling Transitions with Toddlers in the Classroom »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karen @ PreKinders

    March 18, 2015 at 4:24 pm

    What a great collection of dramatic play links! Thanks also for including mine. 🙂

    • Sheryl

      March 18, 2015 at 9:44 pm

      Loved including yours, Karen!

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