Dramatic Play - Airport

Description

This is an airplane flying through the clouds.

The dramatic play center provides opportunities for students to collaborate, engage in learning, and build language skills through conversations.  Children have the opportunity to role play real-life experiences by taking on many roles in imaginative play. Utilization of the space as an airport encourages students to take roles as a airport worker, pilot, flight attendant or passenger and explore experiences in relation to these roles.  Students are buying tickets, checking luggage, serving food during the flight and flying the airplane. Children engage in taking turns with peers and developing vocabulary through interactions with one another.  

Purpose

• fine motor skills with preparation of food and handling of money 
• math skills with the calculation of costs of the ticket and exchange of money
• sorting of luggage by color, size or type
• decision making opportunities 
• writing opportunities for passenger to write about flight
• expression of artistic ability through drawing of destination 
• print exposure to names of possible destinations
• language opportunities by conversing with one another before, during and after the flight
• reading opportunities with exposure to variety of airport/flying related books in center
• expression of feelings and emotions
• creativity, imagination, abstract thinking
• oral communication, vocabulary 
• cooperation, sharing, taking turns

Suggested Materials

• ticketing area with cash register and play money
• pretend tickets with stamper
• labels/signs with possible destinations for passengers(Florida, Paris, Africa, etc. - may include picture and word)
• globe for students to see destinations
• chairs arranged in rows like an airplane
• "cockpit" with controls (could be box or other materials), yoke (steering wheel) and chair for pilot 
  
• variety of play food with trays to serve passengers
• baskets, shelves or other materials for food to sit in or on
• play refrigerator and oven
• name tags for airport worker and flight attendants
• pilot hat for pilot
• variety of bags and totes for luggage
• telephone to make announcements to passengers
• writing utensils
• paper, clipboards, notepads to take order of customers
• reading materials - airport related books in center, including nonfiction and fiction
• magazines for waiting area at airport

Questioning Examples

These guiding questions can be used to assist the teacher, instructional assistant, or parent volunteers in supporting children's development and learning during play.

• Where are you flying to today? Why did you choose to go there?
• Do you like to be the passenger, pilot or flight attendant? Why?
• What food is going to be served today on the flight?
• What do you have to do in your job as a pilot? Can you show me how you do it?

Considerations

This center can be set up with the following areas included: ticketing area (with cash register, tickets and place to check luggage), airplane with seating for passengers and cockpit area and area for flight attendants to prepare food with items/food on shelves or in baskets.  A basket/tote with books about airplanes and destinations should also be in the center for students to explore. In addition, supply writing prompt papers for customers to have the opportunity to write their destination and/or a drawing of the destination (see attached prompt). Also, encourage children to try different roles of airport worker, passenger, flight attendant and pilot.

This center should allow for enough space for at least three students to play with the furniture and props.  The dramatic play center should be located in an area of the room that enables students to communicate without disrupting other children's work and play.

Photo Examples

Literature Connections

Many literature connections exist for this topic and can be read to students before introduction of the center or during learning of the theme of airport. These books can also be placed in the airport for independent exploration by the children. The following are a few suggestions:

"The Airport Book" by Lisa Brown

"Amazing Airplanes" by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker

"Look Inside an Airport" by Usborne

"Airport" by Byron Barton

"An Airport Field Trip" by Isabel Martin

"Amazing Airplanes Sound Book" by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker

"Signs at the Airport" by Mary Hill

"Pilot Pete" by Ruth Wielockx

"Pilots and What They Do" by Liesbet Slegers

"Going on a Plane" by Anne Civardi

Downloadable Resources

This is a center sign to be used at the airport.

This is a writing prompt and ticket to be used at the airport.

Clip art credit: www.mycutegraphics.com