There are so many things to celebrate in preschool. Learning milestones usually top the list, but birthdays come in a close second. If you’ve spent any amount of time around a preschooler, you know that birthdays are a big deal! The theme, the friends, the cake, and the games are important details that they want to help plan. Why not throw together a birthday dramatic play center!? Watch their imaginations come to life as they plan the party with their friends in the birthday dramatic play center!
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Me & My Family Lesson Plans
Birthday Dramatic Play
Set Up with Decorations
What’s a party without decorations?
There’s so much pressure these days to be Pinterest perfect. The decorations, the food, and the invitations have to be just right.
Not here, friends! A simple party theme with bright colors is all your preschoolers need to throw a birthday bash in the dramatic play center.
All you have to do is print off the birthday banner, invitations, name tags, balloons, and the strips to make your very own paper chain (cue the fine motor skills). Then your dramatic play center will practically be singing happy birthday along with your little ones!
Materials:
- Birthday Dramatic Play printables
- colored paper
- lanyards (for name tags)
- rainbow party fringe
- lamination
- party plates & napkins
Birthday Invitations
Writing in Dramatic Play
Snail mail is a lost art in a world of text messages, social media, emails, and e-vites. Our mailbox is full of junk mail and rarely any invitations or thank you notes.
Your dramatic play center doesn’t have to be this way! Teach your little ones the joy of writing a personalized invitation to a birthday party with all of the details.
This is the perfect way to sneak in some name writing!
After the party, thank you notes are a must! Have them complete a thank you note by drawing a picture of the gift they received during their pretend birthday party.
It’s as easy as that! Personalized mail is brought back to life for the duration of your little ones’ dramatic play birthday party.
Materials:
Bake a Cake
Following Visual Directions
As a kid, I baked with my mom as a means to lick the bowl. Sorry, Mom! But as an adult, I realize the best part of baking with my girls is the time spent with them.
Special memories are made in the kitchen, and your dramatic play kitchen is no different! Through pretend play, imaginations can run wild and friendships will form.
The baking a cake activity gives your little ones instructions that are easy to follow. With step-by-step visuals, the cake should turn out perfectly every time.
You may not be able to smell the when this cake is ready, but the interactions between your preschoolers will be just as sweet!
Materials:
- Birthday Dramatic Play printables
- pretend cake
- mixing bowl
- measuring spoons
- bottles (for milk)
- wooden eggs
- plastic bags with white pompoms (flour/sugar)
- plastic knife
birthday dramatic play
Party Games
There are two types of adults: the type that lives for party games, and the type that dreads party games…
But there’s only one type of preschooler – party game fanatics! When the classic games come out, they can’t resist bursting with excitement.
Face painting, pin the tail on the donkey, ball toss, and a piñata all spark excitement at any birthday party.
Whether they are pretending to paint each others’ faces or competing in the ball toss, they will feel like they are at an actual party.
Your birthday dramatic play center will come to life as each game is played!
Materials:
- Birthday Dramatic Play printables
- small tubs
- plastic balls/bean bags
- paintbrush
- mini piñata
- sticky tack (for donkey tails)
Birthday Party gifts
Sort by Size
More stuff doesn’t equal more happiness… unless you’re a kid on your birthday.
For gifts during the pretend birthday party, your little ones will sort them by size. With the printables, they will be able to write on gift tags who each gift is to and who the gift is from.
It’s a fun way to remind them that giving gifts can be just as fun as receiving them!
Materials:
- gift tags
- small, medium, & large boxes
- wrapping paper
- dry erase markers
Cake Cutting
Equal Pieces
Do you request the same cake every year for your birthday? Or do you like to switch it up?
I stick to the tried and true Dairy Queen ice cream cake each and every year. It’s tradition, and it just tastes like a birthday celebration!
When your preschoolers make their cake, they’ll want to serve it to the guests at their party. Use these printables to remind them to cut their play dough cake into equal pieces.
After all, you want to make sure each of your guests gets their fair share of sweets.
Materials:
- Birthday Party Cake Cutting
- play dough
- plastic knife