Autumn Dramatic Play Themes

I love autumn - pumpkins, sweaters, apple cider - it is my favorite season.  There are so many fun things to do in the fall, and those activities translate to wonderful dramatic play themes.  Here are some fun ideas to invigorate your dramatic play center.

Leaf clean up: Inspire children to help rake the yard with this fun dramatic play center. Consider adding some of the following materials to inspire play:

• Rakes
• Gardening gloves
• Play leaves
• Leaf bags

Apple orchard: Nothing says autumn quite like a trip to the orchard, it's easy to create your very own orchard with some of these materials:

• Play apples (or real ones!)
• Bushel baskets
• Picnic blankets
• Cider jugs

Pie Bakery: The best part of autumn is the baked goods! You cannot celebrate a fall holiday without pie, so gather up some of the following materials for your bakery:

• Pie pans
• Aprons
• Spatulas
• Pie filling cans
• Felt pieces to use as pie crust

Bonfire: Crisp autumn nights are perfect for bonfires.  Children can create their own bonfire fun with some of these materials:

• Small logs
• Blankets
• Camp chairs
• Twigs for marshmallow roasting
• Camping lanterns

Halloween party: Let the Halloween fun last even longer by setting up a Halloween party in your dramatic play center.  You only need a few things:

• Random costumes
• Trick or treat bags
• Bowls of pretend candy

Football game: It's not autumn without some Friday night lights! Your students can create their own football fun with these materials:

• Football Jerseys
• Footballs
• Pom Poms
• Popcorn bags
• Blankets