The Preschool 1 children at RisingOaks Early Learning | St. Brigid, have a big interest in pretend play. They really enjoy new materials and having the opportunity to explore them with peers. With this in mind, we set up a pet clinic in our classroom. We had lots of stuffed animals that needed some help! We also had a veterinarian set with tools needed to help all our furry animals. The children sat together and shared the materials around the table to complete the task of ensuring all of our animals were healthy! We also had notepads which preschoolers used to write their findings. Some of them enjoyed looking at the X-rays on our light table and guessing which animals were on them. The educators overheard lots of fun conversations that occurred during this activity as the children interacted amongst each other. The children problem-solved situations with little assistance from their educators.
Preschoolers engaging in pretend play encourages the exploration of their imagination. It builds their communication skills and expands their socio-emotional skills. As the interest in pretend play increases, we will continue to adapt different experiences for children within our classroom. Can’t wait to see what other materials can be added to our classroom in the next few months!
