When I was working for the district our biggest challenge was the pretend play center. Why? Cuz it had to be brought out every day into the MPR and taken down.
If you had a classroom you could leave the pretend play kitchen out, but for us who didn’t, had to get creative with our pretend play area to make it fun and exciting without killing our backs lifting anything.
So the challenge was, how many pretend play ideas you could come up with that could easily fit into a storage box.
Well I’ll tell you this, there is a lot. One year, at one of our meetings, they even had a bunch of free stuff from different places, for us to choose from , and take it back to our sites.
1. STARBUCKS!!!!!
You can go into your favorite local Starbucks, especially the one you go to on a daily basis and ask them, for a couple of free things. Cups, straws, and tops. Now you cant get aprons, but if you go to a craft store and pick up a couple, and printable fabric to iron on, you can make your own.
2. IN n OUT BURGER.
These guys are so cute. You can get their hats, napkins, some cups, and even burger wrappings.
3. Dairy Queen
Now if course you can’t get free cones, but you can ask for a few cups once again, napkins, straws. Then go to the store and get your own set of cups, and have an ice cream shop.
4. Denny’s or IHOP
Either of these places doesn’t mind giving out a few extra kids menu to play with. You can laminate them at any printing or copying place to make them last longer.
5. RED ROBIN.
Any restaurant that is your family favorite has once again Childrens menus. Just say it’s for your classroom, and they don’t mind giving them away. Especially right now with covid, all menus are digital, so technically you can print them off too.
AND….. the list goes on and on.
This was always fun for school age kids. They learned to be Gentle and kind with the supplies. They knew that I’d they wrecked it, that was it, no more supplies. They would mess up the center for everyone.
So get creative. November is coming up here shortly. And the pretend play area at my house is going to get very creative. Can’t go wrong with food for thanksgiving.
The TAWL Mom 