Shania Grijalva

April 24, 2017

TLS309

Dramatic Play Center Reflection

Introduction

For my dramatic play center, I created a center that would reflect on my childrens

interest and experiences in order to create new experiences and for them to use imagination in

their play. The physical environment of the dramatic play center, I decided on placing things

based on nap time factors and making the most of the area. The tent in the center of the center.

On the right of the tent, I placed a blue yoga map as a stream. Inside the stream, there are six

colorful felt fish with magnetic mouths. On either side, there are two fishing poles. In the dress

up area, there are four backpacks with yoga mat rolls tied on the bottom of them. In each bag

there is a flashlight, candlelight, hat, bandage roll, cup, plate, poncho, and puppet. We also

provided a lamp and blankets.

When talking about the center with my mentors, we were excited to see what students

would do with bringing the outside into the classroom. It would be interesting to see play and

then ask about their experiences. Some children had experience camping while others have not

had that experience.

Literacy Interests

The first day I set up, it was in the afternoon, we could not open the center until the

following day. While I did set up while the children were outside, I feel that any other time, I

would likely try to engage the children in the creation process. After I made the center, the

children were excited to see it when they came inside from the sky room. During snack, one
child saw it, and he told me that I should make a sign about the center being closed. I asked Stark

to make me a sign since it was his idea. He did not want to, but his twin decided to make me sign

instead. The front of the tent has a purple paper, which is covered in xs. Piper, the girl in my

classroom, told me, Im putting xs on it, so no one can go in there. Clearly Piper is similar with

signs that mean do not enter. When I asked, she told me that, Theres yellow tape that means

you cant go in, and theres big red Xs too. I was excited to learn about her knowledge of signs.

Through our explorations and finding childrens interests, as educators, we can find what

they know, what they want to know, and how to explore it. In this case, my children were

interested in signs. Instead of making a sign myself, I invited them to create their own signs to

place on the tent and ask questions about the signs they see in their lives.

Reflection

I introduced my center through songs. We sang a campfire song in the morning and in the

afternoon after nap, I set up the play center. It was interesting to see how the children made

connections themselves, saying, Shania, we sang campfire songs this morning! Throughout the

day, it was interesting to see them talk about camping or remember things.

I took a large roll of creating the materials, setting up and observing. After I set

everything up, I watched the conversations that sprouted about the tent, the fish, the backpacks.

Some children had connections while others did not. We decided on my rolls because it was my

center. They supported me through providing materials, books, and space. I made most of the

items in the center, the stream, fish, fishing poles, and alterations to the bags.

My biggest strength in the center was in craft and details. All the things I made was with

purpose. The tent was also a large part of it, which had the children using the bed roll yoga mat

as beds and mats inside the tent. However, some of the things that did prove difficult was clean
up. All the materials were very carefully placed. Talking to the children and explaining where

materials go and how to handle them was very important, which is something I should have done

before opening the center. However, we talked about that after the first clean up. My biggest

need for improvement was in the backpacks. I felt later I needed to add more. I also had a big

goal of adding a tree, which I never got around to. While it was not needed, it would have been a

nice addition to add to the environment.

I took several notes on the conversations surrounding the center. One thing I really

noticed was how well the children connected to the concept of camping, such as which children

had gone camping and others who were using their imagination. They like finishing and hiking,

putting the packs on and walking around the center. My main notice for Graham, my case study

child, was that he had never gone camping yet, connected very well to fishing. He told another

child in the center that its fun to catch the fish. He was using the pole with the longer string,

which meant it was more difficult. His fine motor skills have grown greatly since the first time I

met him.

My mentor teachers were excited to see all the things I made. My mentors told me that

my fishing poles were nicer than the ones they had in storage. It was nice to hear that because

they had brought those, while mine were hand made. Some of the parents told me the kids were

excited and even the children would tell their parents how excited they were, showing off the tent

in their classroom.

All in all, I am very happy with the way the center came out. The tent was the perfect

size, and the yoga mat was big enough to be a stream. While I did want to add a little more

before I left my placement, I am content with the materials in the classroom. I also had already
shared with my mentor teachers about my goals for the center. They could easily create or add to

the center. I no longer hold any questions for my center, as I have seen the children use it.
 Field Notes 1

Observation

In the middle of the play center is a large red tent

with yellow and blue details. Cain is told there is

now space for him in the area. His face brightens up,

and he hurries towards the center. Inside the center

there are three children, Savie, Rose, and Peggy.

Savie and Peggy are both fishing, holding the poles

at different angles to catch the fish. Rose is in the center, looking at the yoga mats. They are still

unrolled, but she is starting to move them from and back. Adding another child to the mix, Cain

changed the dynamics. Cain went into the tent, excited to be inside, his teeth showing a smile.

He takes a roll from Rose, and he begins to unroll it, stretching it out.

Rose says, Lets make a bed! Get more, get more. Right here, right here! Cain listens

and continues to unroll the mats. He gets up and finds two more mats rolls up under the

backpacks. He unrolls them in the tent. Rose moves them apart slightly, making sure to cover the

area in the tent.

Cain goes to the white shelf, and he takes a

blanket. He gets into the tent, and Rose starts to pull

the blanket over herself. She put some over Cain as

well, making sure to cover both of them.

Peggy notices that the two are in the tent. She

crawls over and looks at the bags on the ground, left by

Cain when he got the mats. She says, Whats in here, Shania? I answer with, You should open

them up and find out. She starts to open the bags and look inside.

Rose starts to pat Cains back as he lays down. Time to go to bed, Cain. She says,

continuing to pat his back. He just lays on his side and lets here pat his back.

I am staring at the interaction from the rug

area and writing down the quotes, I notice that

Peggy is watching me. Instead of asking me a

question, she looks towards the tent from what I

was writing. The two, Rose and Cain sit up. They

start to fix the blanket, pulling it up towards their

chins. Peggy stopped searching through the bag and peered into the tent.

Peggy leaned into the tent, looking in, a

large smile on her face. What are you doing? I

want to sleep too! Her voice was louder than it

should be in the play center, but instead of talking,

I continued to observe. Rose! Peggy says again,

loudly. I watch Cains reaction.

Peggy! Cain says. Hey, dont wake us

up! Peggy is surprised, but she accepts the answer.

I want to sleep too. Tell me when you wake up.

She says and goes back to fish.

Cain looks at me. Cain! I smile big for

him, You used your words and Peggy heard you!

He seems content with my comment, and he goes back to pretending he is sleeping. I am excited

at the conversation the two had, as we are working on Cain using his words instead of being

physical

Reflection

This was one of my favorite interactions that I had seen, as many things done in it

represent things they have seen in the classroom and growth. For Cain, I saw growth in his

actions. Sometimes he is quick to be aggressive, but he used his words. It was reinforced when

Peggy heard and listened them.

Rose also patted Cains back as she was trying to get him to sleep. We pat childrens back

during nap to get them to sleep. Peggy, who sometimes may cry when told no, listened and

understood. She left the situation and redirected herself until later when they were done sleeping.
 Field Notes 2

Observation

The first group of children in the center was

Graham, Eevee, Savie, and Rose. Savie and Rose were

in the tent, exploring the materials in the tent. Graham

and Eevee were looking at the materials outside the tent.

Graham picked up a fishing pole and took the fish out of

the brown basket. He tried fishing, but the fish are faced

down. The magnetics are not visible, so he cannot fish. You can turn it around, Eevee says.

Graham looks down, and then begins to flip them one by one.

The two begin fishing, Eevee! You can only get

one fish at a time! Graham says as Eevees hook wanders

over the scan of two fishes. She looks up at and says, Its

hard.

Its fun to fish. Graham says back to her. At this

point, I wonder why things cant both be difficult and fun.

Nothing too easy is ever fun. However, I continue to observe the two playing. She is beginning

to focus on a single fish, the pink one instead of the green one she was trying to get fish.

Meanwhile, Graham is looking at a green fish.

Eevee catches the fish. Instead of pulling

the fish, she gives it a lot of slack in the yoga mat

stream. I wonder if she has never gone fishing before. It was hard to place where she was at and

what she understood about fishing.

But then she pulls it up and sets it out of the

stream for a second. She throws the fish back in. She

then begins to fish again, focusing on the magnetic and

where it was located based on her hand movements. Her

hands move slightly, steadying as the magnetic begins to

sway less. She is very careful at this point and where the

magnetic will end up. Graham starts to look a little frustrated, his eyes furrowing and lip coming

out to pout. He starts to look at Eevees pole and down his pole. This string is long. I want to

use that one.

Eevee does not offer to trade, instead saying she

was still using it and continues to fishing. I wonder what

the next step between the two will be. Graham tries

again, placing his pole at a good angle for the magnetic

to be lowered, aiming at the green closest to the pink, he tells me. It captures a the green closest

to the orange instead. He appears a little confused, but he takes the fish out. Shania, look! I got

it. Graham says to me.

Reflection

I enjoyed this play because it showed communication. Graham listens to Eevees words,

as she told him which way to turn the fish. He turns them over as he realizes they are the wrong

way. Even Eevee learns something from Graham as he talks to her. She tried to get more than
just one, according to Graham. He told her to aim for a single one, focusing in a single one than

multiple provide her with a better chance of catching the fish.

Another example of this is when Graham wanted the other pole, but he was not offered it.

While he expresses his needs, it is shown that they are not always met. She was using this pole.

However, instead of being angry or even more frustrated, he accepts it and continues to try with

his pole.

This play was interesting as it put two children who usually do not play together in a

situation where they had to communicate their needs and wants. Dramatic play provides a safe

way for children to form these skills.