This summer I have made it my mission to set up more dramatic play centers for my preschool learners! This week, I transformed my little classroom into a Smoothie Shop! In this blog post, I'll guide you through the step-by-step process of transforming your classroom.

So, put on your teaching apron, and let's dive into the wonderful world of the Smoothie Shop!

Step 1: Gather Your Smoothie Shop Supplies

You can choose to use real items or pretend play items. Here is a list of pretend play items I used:

• Fruit: Mini erasers (you can find these on amazon)
• Yogurt: Dry rice
• Spinach: Strips of green felt
• Toy Blender (you can find these on amazon)
• Spoons
• Bowls
• To Go plastic/ paper cups and "for here" cups
• Straws
• Child Broom/ Pretend Trash Can (for employee task)
• Sponges/ pretend play sink (for washing dishes)
• String/ beads (creating employee necklaces)
• Crayons/ markers (coloring the banner)
• Play Stand/ Sensory Table/ Dramatic Play Area- Use What You Have

Step 2: Set Up

Designate a specific area in your home or classroom as the smoothie shop. I used my play kitchen, market stand and sensory table to create my smoothie shop set up, but use whatever you have on hand to create yours!

Instead of boring you with each step of how I set up the play center check out these pictures so you can get a visual of how to set up your own!

Step 3: Create Recipes

This Smoothie Shop set already includes pre made recipe cards, but I wanted the kids to get more involved in their smoothie making process. So what better way then to have them create their own smoothie recipes!

The kiddos could cut, color and paste each ingredient to the smoothie recipe craft page. This was one of my favorite parts of the dramatic play center because the kids got to talk about what they love in smoothies (plus worked on those scissor skills! Win Win!!) and the conversations that it sparked was so fun!

Step 4: Time to Play

Now, it's the moment your little one has been waiting for—time to unleash their inner smoothie shop owner! Encourage your kids to take turns being the customer, the cashier, and smoothie shop employee. They can follow the recipes to create delicious smoothies, take orders from their "customers," count money, and even wash dishes afterward.

Now It's Your Turn!