Learning centers are a great way to "set the stage" for dramatic play with the setting, props, and even costumes. In this dramatic play learning center, children can pretend to be vets by helping their stuffed animals. Through dramatic play, children gain social-emotional skills, language and oral skills, motor skills, confidence, and more. Get the book The GIANT Encyclopedia Of Learning Center Activities For Children 3 to 6 for fresh new learning center ideas from teachers who have used them in their own classrooms!
Materials
- chairs and desks
- stuffed animals
- books or magazines
- telephone
- keyboard
- date book
- clipboard with pencil
- paper
- posters of doctors, pets, and so on
- table
- play medical tools (stethoscope, blood pressure pump, thermometer,
- and other tools)
- nurse and doctor jackets, surgery scrubs, and shoe covers
- stretch bandages and tongue depressors for splints
- small plastic bandages
What To Do
- Set up a reception area with chairs, desk, and office equipment.
- Behind the reception area, arrange medical diagnosis, treatment, and surgery areas.
- Explain to the children what the areas are used for. For example, in the reception area, they may wait their turn, schedule appointments, and pay for services.
- Encourage the children to take on different roles, such as pet owner, receptionist, doctor, and nurse.
Instructions
1. Read I Spy books, if available, to the children.
2. Invite the children to bring in an assortment of small items from home to
make a classroom "We Spy" book. It is helpful to provide a list of items the
children could bring.
3. Staple a few blank pages together, or punch holes in paper and attach with
yarn.
4. Ask children to sort all the contributed items and decide on names for
different pages of their "We Spy" book, such as vehicles, ocean creatures,
animals, and so on.
5. Let children arrange or display items in any fashion. You may with to assign
two or three children to each page to avoid crowding and confusion. Blocks,
shelving, or knick-knack shelves are great for displaying the items.
6. When children have finished organizing items for a specific page,
photograph the display.
7. Let children create as many displays for as many pages as time, film, or funds
allow! Arranging items and photographing takes much longer than you may
anticipate, so you may want to allow an entire week for this project.
8. Develop film, and if funds allow, make enlarged color copies for your book.
9. Glue all the photos into the book on the appropriate pages. Ask children to
examine the pages and name a few things they spy. Keep a list of page
numbers and items children name on each page.
10. Be sure there are at least one or two entries for each child, and print the text
on the page.
11. Make a cover for the book using children's illustrations or a group creation.
Title it "We Spy..."
