Early Years - Role Play - Setting Up and Planning

Worcestershire County Council Early Years advisor Sheila Sage explores the planning and setting up of a role play area.

Sheila and her colleague Sue Durant watch the work of practitioners at Stanley Road Primary School. They follow the development of two linked role play areas inspired by the children's own ideas.

The practitioners linked this with the theme of travel and journeys already being covered within the Foundation Stage unit.

The children visit local petrol stations and shops to give them first hand experience of a working garage.

A DVD film stimulates more thoughts - and then the role play area is assembled using the children's ideas. This is important in making them feel part of the scene they have helped to create. Old tyres, tools, steering wheels give an authentic feel to the children's garage.

This role play activity provides learning opportunities across all six areas of the curriculum.

This programme shows:

• How to set up a role play area in your classroom
• Visiting actual locations to spark inspiration for how the role play area will operate
• How to include pupils' input into the running of the role play area