Looking for a sweet and summery center? How about a Lemonade Stand Dramatic Play? With a lemonade stand this adorable, there won’t be any sour faces in the classroom!
Benefits of the Lemonade Stand Dramatic Play Center
This Lemonade Stand Dramatic Play, along with many other types of dramatic play set-ups, is fantastic for engaging every part of the developing preschoolers’ brains.
- It inspires creativity as it requires imagination, first and foremost.
- It encourages communication skills between peers and often adds new vocabulary as well.
- Math skills get some practice when counting out change, measuring “ingredients” for the super-secret-house-recipe, and counting out cups for thirsty customers.
- This center also encourages sustained focus, something that is just emerging with preschoolers in the classroom.
- Finally, it improves social skills as students work out solutions to problems as they arise, determine what roles they will play, and resolve any conflicts that might spring up as well.
Setting up a Lemonade Stand Dramatic Play Center
While the pictured stand is one-of-a-kind, it is as easy as 1,2,3 to set up this center with any existing dramatic play furniture.
Step One: Gather props. Here are some ideas!
- Cups
- Pitcher
- Large wooden or plastic spoon
- Aprons
- Nametags
- Toy cash register
- Clipboard
- Craft Sticks (for stirrers)
- Large yellow pompoms (for lemons)
- Small red pompoms (for strawberries)
- Medium white pompoms (for ice cubes)
- Pencils (to take orders)
- Phone
- Empty sugar shaker
You can even take it up a notch by ordering artificial lemons (here are some slices too!)
Step Two: Label the materials, display the recipe steps for lemonade, and provide a menu.
Step Three: Enjoy hours of imaginative play!
Closing Up Shop
At the end of a long play session, clean-up can be daunting. Labeling where items belong helps students clean and organize while they go, as well as when it is time to move on to other adventures. Labels also provide valuable literacy reinforcement. When a student reaches for the “sugar” and sees the word, they make the connection!
Download the Lemonade Stand Dramatic Play Kit Here!
Time is always the one thing a teacher wishes they had a bigger supply of! Save time and frustration with this pre-made Lemonade Stand Dramatic Play download. It has all of the printable supplies made up and ready to use!
Have fun learning and playing – and pretending – with your students today!
Still Thirsty?
These dramatic play centers are available to quench your thirst as well!
A chill in the air means it’s the perfect time to bring out the Hot Drink Cafe!
Just looking to add some pizzaz to an existing dramatic play center? Try this DIY Drink Machine!
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