No expense
Anne O'Connor
Wednesday, September 5, 2001
Fitting out an imaginative role play area need not be expensive, so there's no excuse for a neglected corner with some naked dolls and a few tatty cups and saucers. * Use parents' and others' creative skills to design simple structures that suit your specific needs.
* Use parents' and others' creative skills to design simple structures that suit your specific needs.
* Adapt old stage scenes and props used in school productions.
* Use large boxes to make boats and cars or use the cardboard to construct lightweight roofs or props.
* Recycle kitchen items from home or buy them from 'pound' shops - bearing in mind safety issues and using only sturdy, preferably plastic, items.
* Save old jigsaw pieces to use as 'soups' for pouring, mixing and serving.
* Check out stores such as Ikea, which now produce children's role play items cheaply, although they were designed for home use and may not be up to constant battering by lots of children.
* Trawl charity shops for dressing-up and dolls' clothes, and crocheted blankets, bright headscarves and tablecloths.
* Look out for cameras, suitcases, toy prams and pushchairs and shopping baskets at car boot sales.
* Provide as many old telephones as possible - an essental item for promoting speaking and language skills. Local businesses often throw out equipment when refurbishing.
