How To Set Up A Pretend Play Snow Cone Shop For Toddlers

A favorite pretend play center in my classroom is Snow Cone Shop! I usually set this one up during the summer when it is HOT, but it can also be a lot of fun in the middle of an ICY winter! I hope this blog post inspires you to create this fun shop for your little learners!

Pretend play is a great way for children to act out everyday living! During the hot summer months, a Snow Cone truck drives through our neighborhood. My home daycare students love to cool off with this fun snack, and they are fascinated watching the syrups getting poured over the shaved ice!

This inspired me to create a classroom Snow Cone Shop so they could pretend to make and sell their own icy treats.

How to set up pretend play for toddlers.

When creating a new dramatic play center in my classroom, I like to stick to some basic rules. The first is to make the center as cheaply as possible but still safe and enjoyable for the children. As a daycare provider, I don’t have an unlimited budget, so dollar tree is my friend!

Can you see what I used for the shaved ice? Yep, Loofahs!! They make the perfect pretend shaved ice.

I also keep things simple! My little learners are infants and toddlers who get overwhelmed quickly if too much is in a center. Less is more with this age group!

Are your students overwhelmed during clean-up time? Do they get confused about where to put items back, or do they take too long to clean up? Are they playing with the toys or “dumping them?” If any of these happen in your classroom, simplify your pretend play centers.