It is quite common these days for role-play areas to be developed with great imagination. You name it, we early years practitioners have tried it - and with great benefit to children's learning. But have you noticed how, despite your efforts to create a deep-sea environment with a shipwreck, treasure chest and marine life, the children are often to be found purposefully laying out cups and saucers, berating the dolls for bad behaviour and generally re-enacting domestic life - all from the bottom of the sea!
This tells us just how vital a homerole-play area is and how, ideally, it should be a permanent fixture alongside other, changing, imaginative scenarios. Having two role-play areas encourages children to make connections between the different environments, and so enables settings to fulfil the aims of role play as expressed in Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage (page 31): 'Children learn many skills and attitudes in well-planned role play. It encourages individual andco-operative play and gives children opportunities to express feelings, to use language, to develop literacy and numeracy skills and to learn without failure. Role play gives children the opportunity to make sense of their world.'
Lack of space often prevents settings from providing two role-play areas, but home role play transfers extremely well to the outdoors or large block play areas.
Children will often initiate this themselves, transporting gear and setting up home all over the setting. Have old suitcases available to help them transport equipment. The cases also make clearing up easier and provide the stimulus for role-playspin-offs, such as holidays, going to the launderette and moving house.
Fitting out a home role-play area need not be expensive, so there is no excuse if your home corner consists of nothing more than a tiny sectioned-off bit of the room with an old toy cooker, some naked dolls and a few tatty cups and saucers. Use parents' and others' creative skills to design structures and fittings that suit your specific needs.
Children have often used wooden clothes horses to make their own 'houses'. Adapt this old standby by making three-sided wooden stands that can be draped with curtains and moved around.
Although child-sized pots and pans are nice, children can derive a greater sense of satisfaction from the real thing, so recycle kitchen accessories from home or buy them from 'pound shops'. Be aware of safety, and buy sturdy stuff.
Wherever possible, have some articles that represent the ethnic diversity of domestic life, particularly with reference to your setting. Role play unfamiliar items yourself, so that they have status and credibility.
Trawl charity shops, particularly for dressing-up and doll's clothes. Crocheted blankets, bright headscarves and tablecloths are cheap and bring a sense of realism to the role play.
Provide telephones (preferably more than one), as they promote oracy and often stimulate withdrawn children to use their voice.
Don't forget to provide books, comics, magazines and writing materials so that children can recreate the purposeful reading and writing they see in their homes.
Provide a good role model yourself when you visit the area. Practitioners accept an invitation for tea, but then join in the play as themselves rather than in role. Consider the possibilities. You could be Goldilocks come to eat the porridge, the king or queen, a double glazing salesperson, a cunning fox. Being in role can be a great way to organise tidy-up time, too!
