The Restaurant Cafe
Social Studies (Community Roles)
An activity for preschoolers
Materials
-several plastic boxes filled with
-fake food -fake drinks -kitchen equipment (wooden spoons, plastic spatula, turkey baster, ect.) -paper plates -napkins -plastic spoons and forks -plastic cups -huge pad of paper -marker Materials for modifiers: -yellow pads of paper -pencils Modifiers/Scaffold
For an easier challenge:
-Have the earlier children play as customers at the restaurant with you. For most children: -Play as a customer and ask these children to make and serve you various foods and drinks. For a trickier challenge: -Have the children try writing their own restaurant story with their own yellow pad and pencil. Follow-up Ideas
-You can change this idea so that it incorporates pets, grocery stores, home kitchens, construction sites, and even classrooms.
-Instead of providing props, let the children choose which props they want to incorporate in their play. They could chose blocks, cars, dress-up, or any other toys they think they can incorporate in the classroom. |
Originating Idea
My Pre-K class love the soft food toys and plastic kitchen equipment I brought into our classroom this summer. The name of our restaurant is always the same; it's always the "Restaurant Cafe." They love serving me food and making receipts and menus for me to use! I wanted to find a new way to incorporate this love of dramatic play during circle time.
How to Make It
You place the box of fake food, drinks, and kitchen equipment on the teacher's easel. You'll also want to include paper plates, napkins, plastic spoons and forks, and plastic cups. She places the giant pad and marker on the easel as well.
How to Implement It
During circle time, the teacher has the children sit in a circle. The teacher says, "Today we're going to do something different for circle time. Instead of going over calendar and weather, we're going to play a game. Who likes going to restaurants with mommy and daddy?" She lets the children respond to her question. Then she says, "Well, today, we're going to go to a restaurant. Let's talk about what happens when we go to a restaurant." The teacher will then write down the suggestions the children are giving. Then she should make a story out of their suggestions, letting the children figure out which roles they want to play in each story (she may have to help earlier children pick roles they want to act out).
Most children will play out the roles they wanted to play, and follow the story the teacher tells. Later children will add onto the story, and give each role they play their own unique touch. Earlier children may hesitate on which roles to play, and may need a little encouragement from the teacher and the students. The teacher should finish the story with the waitresses and managers cleaning up the restaurant before releasing the entire class for free play. The teacher can hang up the suggestions she wrote on the wall where all the children can see it, and talk about what the children see with them. She should also talk about the different roles each child played during circle time, asking them why they felt their role was important. |