This flower shop dramatic play sure rose to the occasion! With spring in full bloom, it is the perfect time to set up a flower shop in your classroom. As always, dramatic play is the perfect way to incorporate learning through play! The kids don’t even know the essential skills they are building as they plant seeds, create bouquets, and fill out cards for their loved ones. Check out our Flower Shop Dramatic Play!
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Flower Shop Dramatic Play
Flower Shop Set-Up
First things first, gotta set up your flower shop. We used our play kitchen and table for the main furniture in our flower shop. Here are some ideas for set-up:
- Use tin cans as vases. Either tape the labels on the front or tape them onto a table.
- Grab silk flowers from the Dollar Tree. They always have all of the colors for a price that can’t be beat!
- Sort colored pompoms into a tray divided into at least 8 sections. We used the wooden box from our Melissa & Doug vehicle set. Add the colored seed labels to the box.
- Punch a hole in the name tags and add lanyards to make them sturdy enough for toddlers. Use a Command Hook to hang them from any surface.
- Use a clothespin photo display to hang the bunting sign. I use this for every dramatic play set. Makes set-up that much easier. My husband made mine with a leftover piece of wood from a pallet and a wire. Just add two screws into either end and loop the wire around after adding clothespins.
- Hang the Florist Checklist on the wall. I love these clear dry erase sleeves for doing just that.
- Place the Flower Order Form on a clipboard. Because, well, kids love clipboards. Use a string to hang a dry erase marker. That way the marker doesn’t get lost.
- We used clay pots, but we saved the dried black beans as pretend soil for other activities to keep the dramatic play center tidier.
Want to incorporate math into your dramatic play? Use this flower shop order form! For my younger one, we are just working on counting with one-to-one correspondence, so she picks the flowers she would like and then we count the flowers together. For my older one, she actually writes the numbers in the boxes and counts up the total. Even if they just pretend with the order form after I model how to use it, it’s all for good fun.
- Count and represent objects including coins to 10.
- Match a quantity with a numeral.
- Use body and voice to depict various everyday characters.
Sort Flowers by Color
What is more beautiful than a row of brilliant flowers, illuminating the colors of the rainbow? Not only does this display look beautiful, but it is great for our tiny tots to sort by similar attributes. My little ones helped me set up, and as customers came and went in our little pretend flower shop, they sorted them back into the right color container.
- Sort similar groups of objects into simple categories based on attributes.
Florist Checklist
One way to encourage sustained dramatic play is by offering a list of activities to partake in. This visual checklist is a great way to model what to do in the dramatic play center and can provide children with ideas as they interact with friends. We planted pompom seeds in our clay pots and pretended to water them using a watering can. Then, we used scissors (the plastic ones from our doctor kit) to prune the dead leaves and cut the flowers when they were in full bloom. Finally, we took our customer’s order and made the flower arrangements (either in a vase or in tissue paper).
- Initiate sustained dramatic play.
Seed Sorting
One of the jobs of the florist is to plant seeds and help them grow. We sorted the seeds by color and added in some bug grabber tongs to add in some fine motor skills. The children planted these seeds in clay pots, pretended to water them with a watering can, and watched them grow into blooming flowers. Then, the children used plastic scissors from the doctor kit to prune the leaves and cut the flowers for bouquets when they were ready. Finally, the seeds were sorted back into the wooden container and the process began again.
- Sort similar groups of objects into simple categories based on attributes.
Writing Cards
I am always thinking of ways to spice up writing! These cards gave students the opportunity to write notes to their loved ones and sign their names. Perfect letter formation practice without sitting down for formal writing time.
- Recognize that printed material conveys meaning and connects to the reader’s world.
- Write and recognize letters in own name.
- Begin to develop proper pencil grip when drawing or writing.
Flower Shop Dramatic Play
This flower shop dramatic play is such a hit every time we bring it out! Hopefully, you and your little ones will blossom with all of the learning opportunities wrapped up in play with this one! Let me know if you need anything to bring your flower shop to life. I would be happy to help with anything you can imagine. Just send me an email here.
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