Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – so why not focus on that with this Pancake and Waffle Café Dramatic Play set-up? It is hard to say no to the sticky sweet goodness of maple syrup over pillowy pancakes and fluffy waffles. It’s safe to say that many preschoolers have visited a diner or café that specializes in breakfast.

Preschool students love restaurant-themed dramatic play areas, like a pizza parlor or ice cream parlor. These Melissa & Doug’s amazing pancake and waffle sets are just perfect for a Pancake (and Waffle) Breakfast Cafe in the Dramatic Play Area!
Get the Pancake Café dramatic play set here!

Pancake Dramatic Play
$5.00Cook up a delicious breakfast in your dramatic play center with this adorable PANCAKE (and waffle!) CAFE. Young children will love the menus and order forms that create a dramatic play center that’s full of learning fun!
Easy, Print & Go PDF
Welcome to the Pancake and Waffle Café!
At this Pancake Café, skilled pancake chefs serve breakfast all day long.

It takes a lot of employees to keep the Pancake Cafe running smoothly. It needs a host, wait staff, chefs, some hungry customers, and of course a dishwasher and clean-up crew.

If you’re coming to the Pancake Café as a hungry customer, the host will be happy to show you to your table. They can also answer any questions that you might have about our menu.

What’s on the Menu?
The Pancake Cafe offers two main types of food: pancakes and waffles. You can customize your order with six different toppings and wash it down with milk, coffee, or juice.

The chefs don their special hats and white coats (also from Melissa & Doug!). The waiters and waitresses will want to wear aprons to make sure that their clothes don’t get covered in pancake batter.

It gets busy at the Pancake Cafe during the breakfast rush. The chefs keep track of all the orders on this clothespin order board.
Learning to “read” an order form and make a plate of food that matches what the customer wants takes a lot of concentration!



While the pancakes are cooking, a waitress will ensure that your table is set correctly with utensils and napkins. (The printed placemats are also included in the pancake and the waffle sets!)
Order Up!
Each pancake is made to order! The chefs must watch them carefully to ensure that they don’t burn. (The adorable stovetops are on the bottom of the box that the pancake set comes in. How amazing is that?!)
Sometimes there are more chefs than customers, so offer pancakes and waffles to our stuffed animals, too. Doggy says the pancakes with syrup are sticky and delicious!
There are so many things to love about this dramatic play area. Both the pancakes and the waffles have velcro circles with interchangeable toppings. The little wooden spatulas have velcro on them, too, so the pancakes don’t end up on the floor when flipped.
The waffles have to cook in the waffle iron before being covered in toppings!

The topping bar includes six scrumptious choices: syrup, chocolate chips, butter, banana slices, blueberries, and strawberries. Label both the bottom of the basket and the spot on the shelf where the basket belongs to assist small chefs!

Of course, no breakfast is complete without something to wash it all down!

Everyone enjoys the pancake café, so come again soon!

Share pictures of your children using the pancake café. Feel free to share them on my Facebook page or tag me on Instagram.

FREE Home Living Dramatic Play!
The dramatic play area is the center of our classroom community. So much fun, hands-on learning takes place there!
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Jamie,
Love this! Please tell me where you got your glasses of milk and oj? Thank you for all of your great dramatic play ideas. Unfortunately they keep me awake at night figuring out how I can create them in my classroom.
Hi Sheia,
The milk and OJ glasses came with a play food set that I ordered in 2005 when I first opened the preschool. I’m sorry that I can’t find a link to them! Thanks for your kind words. 🙂
This looks amazing, so much fun!
Thanks!
Your centers are always so beautifully neat and organized! That M&D waffle iron is just too cute as well.
Thank you so much Karen! Our students love that center.
Amazing ideas. Thank you so much.