Role play to support reading, writing, maths, life skills and beyond?
Playing tag, washing dolls, creating cars from boxes, building an obstacle course, imaginary friends… each of these, and every aspect of play, or more specifically role play, are so important in every child’s development. Read more about it here!
Role play is an amazing way to encourage creativity and as well a whole host of other skills.
Play SHOPS to explore money, conversation skills, reading skills and more.
Play ZOOS to explore reading and writing skills, money skills, caring for animals and more.
Play SCHOOLS to explore how to manage others, explain concepts to ‘students’ and more.
There are so many different ways you and use role play to support and encourage your child’s imagination and academic learning in a relaxed way. We’ve put together some ideas to help you create a new world in your own home. We will update this page regularly as we create more wonderlands – watch this space.
So how do we set up a Role Play theme?
Plan, plan, plan!
Our first top tip is to always get your child in on the setting up action. Talk it through. Ask questions? Have you ever been to the place you are creating? What did you see? What did you hear? Taste? Smell? Touch? RESEARCH! Can you visit a place like you are creating? Do you have photos from previous visits? Look online or in leaflets for more ideas.
Encourage your child to help you get these ideas down on paper. Drawings, writing, symbols – it all has value.
Now comes the problem-solving…
How do you create these things on your list?
My daughter wanted to create a nail salon and we hadn’t any nail polish at home. What did we do? We did a little research and created our own child-friendly nail polish instead. She wanted a special salon chair. What did we do? We used a sun lounger with a washing up bowl at the foot end for a full on spa experience. She wanted a table. I only had our dining room table to offer. What did we do? She asked to bring her dressing table downstairs – who am I to stifle her creativity? Where there is a will, there is a way. This is a genuine problem-solving activity.
What’s next?
Get creating. Drawing, paint, write, design, build, gather. This is fun! And the world may grow and develop as they play and find more ideas. If they create, they have ownership of their creation; they have pride in their achievements. If you help them create, you both have treasured memories from a shared experience.
So where’s the learning?
Well… you’ve already done a bunch of learning! Learning comes in every experience, but if you mean something a little more formal, then check out our example role play themes for ideas on how to incorporate the curriculum into your play.
We’ll update the examples as we create more over time, so please keep popping back.
NAIL SALON THEME
Find out how we have created a little spot of luxury from our home and rammed in a whole load of learning opportunities to extend the play further. COMING SOON!
For more hands on activity ideas, check these out.
