Our school has a large area set aside for a house area, dramatic play, and dress up. It is in use every day in many different ways. Dramatic play is central to children’s healthy development and learning during the preschool years.  In the house and dramatic play rea, children are able to set aside reality for a time and pretend to be someone or something different from themselves.  They make up situations and actions that go along with the various roles they choose.

When our children engage in dramatic play, they deepen their understanding of the world and develop skills that will serve them throughout their lives. They recreate life experiences and try to cope with their life circumstances, fears, desires, and interests by acting out roles and situations. As they play though their feeling, ideas, and worries, they begin to develop a feeling of empowerment rather than a feeling of being at the mercy of the world around them.

This was the case one day recently.  One of our children arrived at  the preschool and went right over to the suitcase. (We had learned earlier that her family was beginning to pack up for a move across town.)

As she started to pick out the clothes she would put in the suitcase for a move, two of her friends joined her. Over the next half hour, there was lots of discussion-What would need to go and what would need to stay.  Would they need to take food? What should the babies travel in? Step by step, the food, dishes, and baby things were packed up and added to the luggage.

The car was packed,  the trip across town began, and all of the belongings were carried to the new home ( the reading and drawing area ).

Once they arrived, the unpacking began. One friend put the food and dishes on shelves and while another prepared a meal . The babies were fed and cared for.

As the child played through this move, she began to feel a sense of control  over her new situation and began to talk about how she was looking forward to having a room of her own. In the next few days, the girls played moving several times, each time adding something new to the play and making more peace with the experience.

Dramatic play has been helpful to our children this year in coping with illness of family members and doctor’s check ups,  with the deaths of relatives and pets, and with the disruption of divorce.  We will continue to add the props necessary to keep it relevant to our children’s lives so that they may problem solve aspects of their daily life through play.Tweet