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Different Types Play
Different Types Play
CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION
AND CARE RESOURCE SHEET FOR PARENTS
Play
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Ideas for dramatic play This type of play helps children to develop their fine-motor
• grocery store — empty food packets, pretend money, skills for manipulating objects with control, visually tracking
basket for shopping items or pictures, and using the senses of sight and touch.
• home setting — baby dolls, pretend food, old telephone
• workshop — table for a workbench, pretend tools, toys to Types of manipulative play
repair, paper for writing ‘jobs’ • using puzzles — lifting, turning, flipping and placing
• a vet/doctor surgery — toy animals, dolls, toy medical puzzle pieces
equipment, dress ups, ‘cages’ for animals, ‘pretend • tearing materials — strips of paper, card, newspaper, thin
medicine’, paper for writing ‘scripts’, waiting room seats card, tissue paper, fabric
• a restaurant/café — table, chairs, menus, cutlery, plates, • cutting with scissors — straws, paper, wool, magazines,
pretend food. pictures, thin card, fabric
• using playdough — using utensils and cutters, rolling,
Ideas for things that can be used for dressing up pressing and poking
• hats, berets, caps • building things — pressing, pulling apart and rotating
• long skirts and dresses cut to child’s ankle length Duplo, Lego or other construction equipment, or striking
• low-heeled shoes nails to join objects such as bottle tops to soft wood
• men’s ties, shirts, pants and coats • dressing dolls — doing clips, buttons
• handbags, baskets, jewellery, shawls and stoles • dressing up — zips, buttons, opening purses, putting
• feathers, artificial flowers, pieces of material for capes on shoes
and cloaks • threading — thread pasta, straws, paper clips, paper (with
• police, fire and construction worker hats and costumes. a hole punched through) onto string or wool
A ‘great pretender’ does not need to be shown how to • weaving — tie and twist wool, paper pieces, fabric, string
play make believe games. However, the occasional idea or or feathers through mesh or branches.
suggestion and a few props to add to the realism of the role Learning to manipulate objects and tools with control
are often a welcome addition. requires regular opportunities to practise and refine
these skills.
Manipulative play
Children develop control and strength in their fingers
For further information
and hands through manipulative play. Manipulative play Visit www.qld.gov.au/kindy
includes using puzzles, threading, playdough, carpentry,
construction sets and blocks.