Learning through Dramatic Play

We’re all seeing articles and reports of research on the importance of giving children unrestricted and unstructured time to play. In our busy lives with our emphasis on education, some of us tend to fill up our children’s time with lessons, excursions, and lots of coaching from the adults. What gets left out is time for children to simply play and work on their own ideas, relying on their own resources.

At CPSC we have been focusing this year on making sure our children get plenty of time to create their own play and to give them the time, the support, and the props they need to make their play rich, interesting, and rewarding. Often this child-created play falls in the category of dramatic play. The children are engaged with each other pretending to be something like emergency workers, train engineers, etc. As I have watched this child-created play unfold, I can see the tremendous amount children learn from this play as it develops and becomes ever richer and more complex.

In the Chipmunk classroom, there is a group of boys who arrive early and have a good half hour or so to play before their classmates start filling the room. They have several games they play. One of the most popular is playing firefighters. It started with the boys donning the fire fighter outfits . . . hats, vests, etc. They discussed what the emergency was and got busy shooting water at the fire, rescuing people, etc. As they continued with this game, it got more complex. The boys added fire dogs (cute stuffed animals from home) who help the fire fighters with their work. They also sometimes were injured themselves giving the fire fighters opportunities to rescue and treat them. Over time they added a phone to communicate with one another and a camera to take pictures of the scene.

Their communication also developed in complexity. They made plans about what was going to happen. They took turns using the various props. They listened to each other as scenarios unfolded, coming up with what each needed to do next. They created a fire fighter cheer they did at the beginning of an adventure where they all put their hands together and then threw their hands up shouting “Firefighters!” If they didn’t get it just right, one of them insisted on doing it again and again until they were all in perfect sync. There was no fighting and arguing. They listen to each other and build their ideas on the ideas of their friends. In addition to everything they are learning about firefighting, they are also increasing their social skills dramatically. It’s really amazing to watch! The learning they are doing regarding how to express themselves, how to listen to their friends, and how to regulate their emotions so the play goes smoothly will stand them in great stead as they move through their education.

There is a similar long-standing game in the Bluebird classroom. Trains are the game there. It started months ago simply by deciding that the loft was the train. There were drivers and passengers. Then some of the children took on roles such as conductor and engineers who would assist and direct passengers and they would all ride together. The play got more complex as train whistles, keys to lock the train door once all the passengers are on, and gates to let passengers in and out were added. The children have learned to take turns playing different roles, waiting for turns with the whistles and keys, and even using a clock to see when a friend’s turn is over.

In the Hummingbird classroom the children spend lots of riding in the plastic cars on the playground. Teachers have helped them move to more complex play incorporating gas stations and refueling with old pieces of hose for filling their gas tanks. They take passengers in their cars and take turns as well.

I have been really gratified to see our teachers leaving room for dramatic play. The skills the children learn in how to work together will help them move successfully through school and through life. The information they learn through this dramatic play also enhances their cognitive abilities.

And last but not least, you know how you feel when you have worked on a very challenging project with colleagues and the work has been interesting, stimulating, and you have produced something you can be proud of? Working together productively like that makes for very satisfying collegial relationships. It creates a bond. I think the dramatic play I watch where children are truly working together such as I witnessed in the Chipmunk classroom are a child’s version of that adult work situation. The work they do in these unstructured situations matters. It builds important skills. It gives them feelings of pride in their abilities and respect for the abilities of others. Let’s all make sure we leave room for this kind of play.