This whole month we have been exploring Community Helpers along with safety. After reading a lot of books about firefighters, we also talked about what firefighters do to keep our community safe, the tools they use, the gear they wear, and where their stations are and how they transport to places, etc. We set up a hands-on invitation that would not only spark a lot of pretend play, it would allow us to reinforce how the heroes, like firefighters, save people, animals, community buildings, and homes in danger.
In a sensory bin we placed different structures to act as the burning buildings "on fire" (shaving cream with Colorations Liquid WaterColors & Tissue Paper). We provided spray bottles filled with water and invited them to become firefighters and put the flames out.
Dramatic/Pretend play, such as this is a crucial part of early childhood. Since possibilities are truly limitless in pretend play it encourages a child to use their imagination in its truest form by doing. The child will build social and emotional skills, language skills, problem-solving skills, take risks, and become whoever they want to be. If there is one thing we need to encourage children to do more is imagine, and through dramatic play they will! After all, play is the work of a child.
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