Dramatic Play For Kids About The Circus:
Planning for a Circus dramatic play center is very simple, but not everyone in your preschool class may have experienced a visit to the Circus. Planning ahead comes into play when setting up this dramatic play activity for the pre k kids.
Before planning for a preschool dramatic play center or pretend play area using this setting, make sure the children know what a Circus is.
Ask if anyone has ever been to one and see if there is interest in the preschool children wanting to know more about what it is and what happens there. Then use the preschool activities and ideas below for setting up your pretend play center.
Getting Started with Your Circus Dramatic Play Activities:
To introduce this topic you can read books about the circus, talk about the circus, and show pictures of the animals, clowns, and acts.
Once you are ready to set up for a circus here are some great props you can add.
Circus Music: The circus music theme song is called “Entry of the Gladiators.” You can download it on the internet and play it on repeat in the dramatic play center. Or find other fun, carnival or circus themed music.
Animals: You can put in stuffed animals or puppets such as elephants, lions, tigers, horses, bears, etc. Any animals you can get for free, or cheap (dollar store/thrift store).
Pictures: Print out pictures of the circus in action. These could be pics of performers, clowns, acrobats, rides etc.
Sticky tack them to the wall in the dramatic play center so the pre k children can reenact what they see or come up with their own act for a carnival etc.
Costumes: Clown costumes, face paints, top hats, large shoes, tutu’s, wigs, and capes will keep the preschoolers busy.
Mirror: Don’t forget to add a mirror so they can see themselves all dressed up.
Extra’s: You can add in popcorn bags, a few chairs for the audience, a calendar, cash register, pretend money, a telephone, and some receipt paper with some pencils.
All of these items might be too overwhelming if they are added in all at once. Feel free to add in a few items from each category every day and allow the pre k children to play with this circus dramatic play theme as long as they are interested in it.
Once their interest seems to be fading, see what their next interest seems to be and check if we have it in our dramatic play list. If not please e-mail us and ask us to write up a dramatic play experience on it.
Don’t forget to extend this area by adding coloring pages in the art area, some wild animal toys on the toy shelf, and some books in the library.
If it’s at all possible a real treat would be to take the pre school class on a trip to the circus or a carnival if it comes to your town.