As the days get shorter and sunset comes around, oh, 4:30, activities seem limited. No more riding bikes in the cul-de-sac until seven o’clock. No more throwing bags and barbequing out back. No more nightly walks into the sunset. But that’s probably why Christmas comes during this dark time of year – when we need to sprinkle a little light in our lives. One of my favorite traditions is baking Christmas cookies with my kids. And to add even more to this sweet tradition, we made a Christmas dramatic play set full of learning through play: the Christmas Bakery.
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Christmas Lesson plans
Ideas for christmas Dramatic Play
Setting Up the Center
Oh, snap! The kids, including our neighborhood kids, wanted to play in the bakery. There were so many fun roles for them to immerse their imaginative minds into – they played all week!
But first, let’s talk about the set-up. This Christmas dramatic play has three main areas: the kitchen, the display stand, and the dining area. That way, there’s space for the bakers, baristas, cashiers, and customers to do their thang.
I can’t decide whether I like the hot cocoa machine or wooden cookies better. I am in love with both!
Materials:
- Christmas Bakery Dramatic Play
- play kitchen
- shelves
- table and chairs
Treat Display
Christmas Bakery Dramatic Play
For our treat display in the market stand, we used small silver trays from Dollar Tree. They are the perfect size for a little shop.
Set out your Melissa & Dough wooden cookies, gingerbread men, donuts, and cupcake liners. Old me made the cookies out of felt. New me just ordered the set. A mom can only do so much.
Last, I made these treat boxes, which enthralled the kids. Add the adorable, punny labels to folding boxes or brown bags to add the cutest finishing touch to your Christmas bakery.
Materials:
- Christmas Dramatic Play Printables
- wooden cookies
- pretend donuts
- silver trays (Dollar Tree)
- wooden gingerbread cookie craft
Making cookies
Baking in the Pretend Bakery
Next up, we have one of the most important jobs of a baker at Christmas: baking cookies. Out of all the treats to bake, this was by far the favorite: slicing, icing, making, and baking.
First, the kids got to work by pretending to slice the dough, which is held together with Velcro for a fun, cutting effect. Then, they used a round cookie cutter to “cut out” their cookies before placing them in the oven to bake.
Next came the best part—decorating! They piped on frosting using icing bags (a favorite tool made from pompoms secured in the corner of a plastic bag with a rubber band).
Finally, they added the perfect finishing touch by shaking a sprinkle container (beads inside of a spice container) over the top, bringing their delicious pretend treats to life!
Materials:
- wooden cookies
- small plastic bags
- red, green, and white pompoms
- rubber bands
- spice container
- Christmas beads or rice
Making Donuts
Ideas for Christmas Dramatic Play
No one can resist a donut; if you can turn down a delicious donut, we simply can’t be friends.
Even the kids found these miniature donuts irresistible. They were a hot commodity in the bakery, especially the blue one with sprinkles. My girls are in a fight-over-anything-and-everything stage right now, so I know. This week: the blue donut.
To make the donuts, we pretended to cut them out with the circle cookie cutter and fry them in the pan (icing side down). Then, we used our icing bags to frost them and flipped them over to reveal the frosting.
The icing bags were such a neat touch. And trust me, they don’t take long to make either! Just cut the zippers off plastic bags, stuff them with pompoms, and secure them with a rubber band. These little details really bring the Christmas dramatic play center to life!
Materials:
- Christmas Bakery Dramatic Play Printables
- pretend donuts
- small jars for flour, sugar, and cocoa powder (Dollar Tree)
- pots and pans
Making Cupcakes
Christmas Dramatic Play Ideas
The final treat we whipped up in our pretend kitchen was cupcakes! We kept it simple with a six-well muffin tin from the dollar store—just the right size for the play kitchen—paired with red silicone cupcake liners and printed chocolate frosting cutouts for a realistic touch.
For those who love to get crafty with fabric, take it up a notch by sewing some adorable felt cupcakes. A sweet idea, both literally and figuratively—pun intended!
Materials:
- cupcake tin (Dollar Tree)
- red silicone cupcake liners
- pretend cupcakes
Class Recipe Book
Writing Instructions
The step-by-step recipes for the cookies, cupcakes, and donuts were compiled into a binder using page protectors for easy access. Then, we wrote recipes for our favorite holiday treat to add a personal touch. The perfect way to incorporate writing into this Christmas dramatic play setup!
It was so much fun listening to their creative ideas about what ingredients went into their treats and how to make them. My eldest daughter, in particular, is quite the little baker—her love for sweets is from her mama!
Students at different levels can write more words or beginning sounds, while younger students can focus on the pictures. Easy to differentiate for all learners.
We added the personal recipes to the binder. With the cover, it just turned out so cute as an idea for the dramatic play center!
Materials:
Christmas Bakery customers
Pretend Play
Okay, who doesn’t love stepping up to the counter and ordering a special treat? There’s something in the anticipation of getting an old favorite or trying something new. That excitement caused several orders from my kiddos to include every treat the bakery offered. Hmm.
Either way, all of that talking is exactly what I like to hear. Any experience that we offer our children should include communication. This can be ordering their favorite treat, saying hi to a worker, listening to others, or using manners when ordering (I included the sentence stems on the sheets to remind our little ones). This talking builds vocabulary, comprehension, sentence structure, and more! So, let’s hear that chitter-chatter!
Materials:
Cashiers
Christmas Bakery Pretend Play
Next up in the Christmas dramatic play center is a key role that keeps everything running smoothly—the cashier!
The cashier’s first task is to take customer orders using the order form. All they have to do is circle the requested items as customers orders them. To add some math practice, they can count and circle the total number of items ordered at the bottom.
Handling money is another big responsibility! More advanced students can practice counting out Gingerbread Bucks based on the menu prices, while younger ones can simply pretend to pay.
Finally, the cashier assembles the orders. If a barista isn’t on duty, they take over making the hot cocoa. They also pack baked goods into boxes for each customer and help organize the treats onto display trays once orders are complete. It’s a busy but exciting job in the dramatic play center!
Materials:
Hot Cocoa Machine
DIY Prop for Dramatic Play
One of my favorite parts of the Christmas Bakery was this adorable hot cocoa machine! With just a small box or tub about the size of a shoebox, we attached the printable buttons and drain to create the perfect station for little baristas to “pour” hot cocoa. This simple yet engaging addition brought extra magic to our dramatic play center!
Either the barista or cashier took charge of filling cups based on each customer’s order. They grabbed a small, medium, or large cup and pressed the matching button on the machine—a fun and hands-on way to practice size recognition while playing!
For years, I used disposable cups in my dramatic play centers, but I didn’t love how the plastic would crack, forcing me to recycle them. Since I don’t even use disposable goods in my own kitchen, I knew it was time for a change! I finally found durable, reusable white cups in three perfect sizes, and they’ve been a game-changer.
Materials:
- hot cocoa machine printouts
- small box or tub
- plastic cups in 3 sizes (no longer available on Amazon)
Poinsettia Craft
Using Children's Art as Decorations
Last, but not least, we have the perfect craft to add a little Christmas spirit to your dramatic play center. We made these poinsettias simply by cutting out the template that is included, stapling it together, and gluing a yellow pompom on top! I just love it when the kids can add their own little touches to our center. It not only gives them a sense of ownership, but it also works those fine motor cutting skills.
Materials:
- red and green paper
- scissors
- yellow pompoms
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This Christmas Bakery dramatic play was a sweet way to learn through play! The kids had so much fun with all the activities, and it really got us in the holiday spirit. Now, we’re definitely in the mood to make our own Christmas cookies—and we can’t wait to get started!
