A New Dramatic Play

All year, dramatic play has proven to be a popular choice for the Brown Room children. Whether it was a beach side cafes or local grocery sores, the dramatic play area has always been abuzz with excitement and conversation. 

Recently, we noticed that the most recent iteration of dramatic play (the grocery store) was losing some of its original luster. Knowing it was going to need upgrade, we listened to the children for inspiration. Recently, several children including Mimi, Charlton and Win have spent a lot of time sharing about trips and vacations they've taken recently. For some the trip was as close as a car trip and for others the distance required a plane. We decided to build out dramatic play using features of a transportation vehicle, but we left the style of vehicle up to the children. 

When we spoke about it at morning meeting, there was quickly some debate! 

Isabelle: Umm its a grocery store
Mimi: It's a restaurant
Elena: I notice there are some tickets and a computer. What might you need tickets and a computer for?
Cal: Oh, it's a train!
Emma: A train, choo-choo!
Cal: No, it's a locomotive!
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Karen: What do you notice about dramatic play?
Ramsey: A computer.
Ford: A walkie talkie.
Charlton: A fireman suit. A fire truck! It could be a firetruck. 
Ragnar walks in: Why do we have a plane now? I like that. 

Yesterday, Cal, Ellie, Isabelle and Mimi were the first to give the vehicle ago. They approached their play using Cal's suggestion that it was a locomotive train. 

Cal: Here’s a ticket (handing it to Isabelle)
Mimi: I need a ticket please. 
Ellie: No, I got a ticket. 
Cal: Oh here’s one. 
Ellie: Chugga- Chugga
Isabelle: I have a phone?
Cal: Which one?
Isabelle: This (walkie talkie)
Cal: Oh, ok! 
Mimi: (Looking at her ticket and “reading”) 500 Avenue!
Isabelle: I need to call someone. (Picks up phone to call and asks) um, hi are you on the train?
Cal grabs a camera, turns around and says: Say cheese! 
All three girls: Cheese!
Isabelle gets back on the “phone”: I’m on the train, k. Meet me. 
Isabelle: Oh, Mimis not on the train!
Ellie looks around, sees Mimi packing her luggage next to the train: I see Mimi, That’s Mimi. I see Mimi!
Isabelle turns to Cal: Um, Mr. Captain Mimi’s not on the train. 
Cal: Oh, ok. Goodbye. I got sunglasses.

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Isabelle: Oh, i forgot my lunch box! Ellie, this your lunch box. 
Ellie: I put this right on my chair (puts it next to her on the chair). 
Mimi: Let’s go to vacation! (grabs a walkie talkie) Hello, I am going to school today. 
Cal: Is this a map?
Isabelle on the “phone”: Hello, I am on vacation with Mimi and Cal and Ellie. OK, bye!

Mimi calls Cal: Hi, where are you going?
Cal: I’m not going anywhere, I’m just on the train. 
Mimi: Where are we going?
Cal: We’re going over there, to the cozy couch (points in the direction). 
Ellie starts bouncing in her seat as if the train is bouncing and the other children join in while laughing.

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Today dramatic play took on a different narrative, as the children decided to use it as both an airplane and a firetruck. While using it as an airplane, some children discussed what they could see, and have seen out the airplane windows. 

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Rawl (Picking up the binoculars and looking through them): Oh, I see something.
Ramsey: This is where the airplane goes. Going to Florida. 
Karen: What are you going to do when you get to Florida?
Ramsey: We just sleep.
Karen: What do you see when you go to Florida?
Ragnar: I see the beach. I see palm trees at the pool and the beach. 
Karen: When I used to live in Florida, I would see alligators sometimes and lots of birds. 
Charlton: There aren’t alligators in Palm Beach!
Ramsey: Alligators live in the water.

Using it as a firetruck, Charlton, Emma, Ellie and Rawls explored the finer points of search and rescue as they equipped their truck with the appropriate hoses and gear using materials found around the classroom. 

Emma; I’m the fireman. I’m the firefighter. The fire is here. I am the fireman. I am the firefighter. I help Ellie.
Ellie: The airplane is on fire (referring to Emma’s structure that she had called “a airplane” in the construction area).
Rawls (picked up two triangular block and used them to “spray water;”: Two water cannons. Two fires. 
Charlton arrived on the scene of the airplane fire with his “fireman suit,” He found two pockets on the vest and placed his hands inside them: These are my fire gloves to protect my hands. 

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Rawls explores using construction materials as water canons and Charlton explains how his fire costume keeps him safe. 

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Ramsey and Emma work together to build a structure for the firefighters to tend to.