We believe educating parents and professionals on developmentally appropriate practices, help children learn more effectively. In this time of iphones, ipads, Netflix and on-the-go all the time world we live in, we need to take time to allow our young children time to play. Play is a child’s work. Without play, children don’t develop experiences in which to build onto later when learning problem solving, reading and reflecting on reading and doing experiments in science class. One of the most popular learning centers in any preschool classroom is the housekeeping center. Girls love to dress up and pretend to be the Mommy and boys love getting in the kitchen and make believe they are working the stove, dressing up to do various jobs. Why is dress up play so important? Let’s look at these key skills we facilitate, by offering a kitchen center stocked with valuable tools for learning.
When kids put on dress up clothes they learn self help skills necessary for life. As children put on clothing, they learn to button, snap and zip. These skills help them get dressed independently each morning. Those fine motor skills help them self feed with less drops and spills, as well as lead to better writing skills. That’s right! All the tiny muscles we use to zip are the same muscles we use when holding a crayon or pencil. When we have better control of those muscles, we write more legibly and have better endurance. Writing endurance comes with practice and is necessary for handwriting practice and writing sentences that are longer in length.
Some great additions to consider adding to this area are:
old sweaters with large buttons
dresses, shoes, hats and boa’s
old Halloween costumes and don’t forget occupational hats
When kids pretend to be adults, they learn their life experiences in a more meaningful way. Kids love to act out what they see at home…the good, the bad, the ugly! They learn language as they talk and decide who will be the mommy and who will be the daddy. They make grown up decisions like, “What will I cook for supper?” They love to bake cakes and sing happy birthday. Kids learn to think abstractly as they play out scenes in their world. They often will line up chairs and pretend they are on a bus ride going to school or if they have a basket, they may pack a picnic. Having different props that rotate in and out of the housekeeping area, helps keep their play fresh and different. Having all the toys in the area all the time, makes a big mess and they actually play with less of what you have. Box up some toys and begin to rotate them for more focused learning. Encourage them by extending the dialogue as they offer you some pizza. Ask them how they made the pizza or what kind of pizza they like. Enjoy this stage because the better they are at dramatic play (dress up) the more creative they are and many times they make great writers when older!
Some great additions to consider adding to this area are:
various play food and utensils and pots
child sized plates, cups and utensils for sorting
hooks and hangers for helping them organize and learn to clean up
When kids clean up the kitchen area, they learn to sort and group by categories. Most parents don’t take the time to have any organization to the kitchen center, but if they create a spot for a stack of cups or trace the bottom of the pot on the bottom of the shelf, children learn to organize the kitchen. They begin to learn everything has a place to be stored. Children who sort like sized cups and plates are learning to categorize and see how things are alike and different. When you are good at grouping objects, you are later more successful at math.
Some great additions to consider adding to this area are:
plastic silverware and sorting boxes for sorting practice
place mats with plate and utensils traced on it for learning how to set the table properly
consider rotating in laundry for sorting and folding (wash cloths, hand towels, socks are just the right size and perfect for sorting)