Farmers Market Dramatic Play Activity

Inside: Create a farmers market dramatic play area and pretend to sell fruit and vegetables!

In September, while enjoying our farm theme, we like to put together a farmers market, complete with fruits, vegetables, baskets, bags, and cash registers.

The children learn about produce while helping each other make their selections, placing them in the baskets while taking them to the register, then putting them into bags to take “home”.

While having fun in this area, we also provide these activities:

• Farm Animals and Playdough
• Washing Fruit and Vegetables
• Put the Animals in the Barn
• Painting Farm Animals
• Washing Farm Animals 

But the farmers market gets the most attention during this theme, and for good reason! Watch the video:

Free Choice

Our dramatic play center changes with each theme.

Sometimes it’s more theme related than other times, but it’s always a busy area.

Like with all of our centers, children can come and go as they wish and we don’t limit the number.

I’ve witnessed some great learning opportunities as they navigate the space when more children arrive.

They make it happen, or they feel it’s too crowded and move to another area.

Related: Preschool Centers Time

Social Skills

The dramatic play area is wonderful for developing social skills.

While working together, the children are communicating as they are involved in imaginary play.

At first they are playing more side-by-side, but as the year progresses, they are actually playing together.

The difference in play from September to May is amazing, and I love watching it each year!

Related: The Benefits and Importance of Preschool Play

So now let me show you how we’ve set up our farmers market dramatic play area.

Farmers Market Dramatic Play

What We Used

• Signs, labels, and forms from our Farmers Market Dramatic Play Packet
• Cash registers
• Produce
• Eggs
• Baskets
• Bags
• Scale

When I am setting up a dramatic play area for my two’s, I have learned not to overdo it.

I have found that if there is too much, it becomes overwhelming.

In fact, in the above picture there is too much produce in those baskets so I thinned them out a bit.

I will admit that it’s still a challenge for me to keep things simple, as I get a bit excited when setting up this area!

Sometimes I don’t realize there is too much out until the children start playing.

I then remove some of it.

Problem solved.

I also learned that there always must be more than one cash register because they are always being used.

One simply wasn’t enough.

The Farmers Market packet also comes with picture/word cards, which I put in a small pocket chart.

The children enjoyed matching their produce to what was on the cards.

We also added some farm animal puppets and cowboy hats.

Oh, and one of my mama’s beloved quilts.

I think of her every time I display her quilts in our classroom.

After two weeks, we pack up our farmers market and transition to an apple orchard, which you can see here!

More Dramatic Play Ideas

• Fall Coffee Shop
• Veterinarian Office
• Ice Cream Shop