Toddler Dramatic Play

The toddlers were playing outside on the playground equipment. One child noticed some brooms against the wall, took one, and began to sweep along the ground. The teacher saw this, and commented, "You're sweeping the ground." Then the teacher grabbed another broom and swept up some leaves. She said, "Look, you can sweep up leaves with the broom too." Two more toddlers came over grabbed brooms, and all tried sweeping up leaves into a corner. The teacher responded, "Good job, I guess that is your job today, sweeping up leaves!"

We usually think of dramatic play taking place in the play house or dress-up corner. But children love to engage in dramatic play anywhere, and this teacher was quick to see an unexpected opportunity even during outdoor play time. The teacher took an active role in the boy's play, extending his play by modeling something else he could do with the broom. Dramatic play is so important to children, because they get to act out roles and develop new skills. In this case, they are gaining skill in doing a house cleaning chore, but it is still play to them.

Related Training:
Creativity in Dramatic Play