Imaginary Play -"Who wants an ice-cream"?

Imaginary play is a great way for children to express themselves, to pretend to be someone else, and to take charge and to have fun.
Last term I set up an ice-cream shop to see if it would attract any children, and it did. The provocation went from an ice-cream shop to a cafe where children could purchase tea and coffee to have with their ice-cream.

"Imaginative play is essentially when children are role playing and acting out various experiences they may have had or something that is of interest to them. They are experimenting with decision making on how to behave and they are also practising their social skills. Children learn from experience: from what happens around them, from what they see, hear, smell, taste and touch. To obsorb those experiences and to make sense of their world, they need to be engaged in imaginary play". (Learning for kids.net)

Building communication skills

Creative play is a great way to build your child's communication skills in a fun and supportive environment.  When children are engaged with their chosen material you'll notice they talk to themselves about what's happening. This in turn leads to building their vocabulary and developing their imagination. (Kiwifamilies,co.nz)

"Um its closed - what time do you open?" - Manaaki

"Well 6 o'clock" - Jessica

"Who wants an ice-cream?" - What do you want Manaaki? - Jessica

"Look how much money we have"- Manaaki

"What one do you want"? "Give me your money" - Brooklyn

"I want a chocolate one, cause that's my favourite"- Mathilda

"Here Emma one for you" - Ella

"Do you want a cup of coffee with your ice-cream? Go and sit down over there and I'll bring you a cup of coffee o.k" - Olivia

"So what do you want, you can have anything" - Zoey

"I have a cup of tea"- Lily

"You have to take my money sweetie" - Sophia

"Which one do you want, it's on the sign see?" - Trelise

"Oh I like ice-cream"- Noughtin

 "Drink your coffee, coffee for me. I'm going to do ice-creams now" - Finn

"Do you want a ice-cream they only $3.00?" - Hunter

"Um Noah are you buying ice-cream?" - Finn "No I'm in the shop"- Noah

"This is coffee time now"- Noah

"You want the cup of tea?" -Mia

"Yup but we saving it to later" - Belle

"So whats the promblem" - Belle

"Now it's closed - ice-cream shop is shut have a nice day" - Jessica