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Mrs. Cales from Arkansas City KS is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

Play Is The Highest Form Of Research. - Albert Einstein

My students need toys that are conducive to building imagination and interesting dramatic play themes.

  • $865 goal

This project expired on October 6, 2017.

This project expired on October 6, 2017.

My Students

Students in my classroom come from all walks of life but they all have on thing in common they love to explore through creativity! I teach at a Title 1 school in Kansas where 82% of our students receive free breakfast and lunch.

Despite the difficulties they face my students are eager learners who love to explore.

My students love to learn through movement, creative play, sensory, music and investigation. They are allowed to think in their own way and love sharing their problem solving strategies and being active participants in their learning.

My Project

In today's world children often do not have enough play opportunities because of video games, TV and the computer. Early childhood classrooms provide an opportunity where there are other children to play with and toys that are conducive to building imagination.

The items I'm asking for in this project will help foster dramatic play that lead to cognitive and social maturity.

Two of the items I requested are stuffed dogs, I requested these items as part of a classroom pet project I have been interested in. The stuffed dogs would be used as a classroom pet that students can read to, sit with and cuddle with. Play items such as the camp play set, train set, tool workshop, fishing set, beauty case and flower arrangement play set will be used to foster students imagination during play time. I also requested a magnetic blocks set and interlocking plastic disc set for students to be creative with and become problem solvers when building. Kids love to act out what they see at home, which is why I have requested a laundry set and some baked goods to be added to my housekeeping center. Kids learn to think abstractly as they play out scenes in their world.

A report from the Alliance for Childhood sites research that children who engage in complex forms of socio-dramatic play have greater language skills than nonplayers, better social skills, more empathy, more imagination and more of the subtle capacity to know what others mean. They are less aggressive and show more self-control and higher levels of thinking.

Mrs. Cales
Grades PreK-2

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Where Your Donation Goes

Materials Cost Quantity Total
KidKraft Espresso Laundry Set • Amazon Business $95.57 1 $95.57
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Railway Train Set (130+ pcs) • Amazon Business $87.61 1 $87.61
CP Toys 30 pc. Pretend Play Wooden Bake Goods and Latte Machine Playset • Amazon Business $69.95 1 $69.95
Black And Decker Junior Power Tool Workshop (Closed Box) [Amazon Exclusive] • Amazon Business $64.99 1 $64.99
Melissa & Doug Giant Basset Hound - Lifelike Stuffed Animal Dog • Amazon Business $46.17 1 $46.17
Melissa & Doug Wooden Scoop and Serve Ice Cream Counter (28 pcs) - Play Food and Accessories • Amazon Business $42.34 1 $42.34
Little Tikes Garden Table • Amazon Business $39.99 1 $39.99
Melissa & Doug Giant English Bulldog - Lifelike Stuffed Animal (nearly 2 feet tall) • Amazon Business $34.99 1 $34.99
Kidzlane Deluxe Pet Doctor Vet Kit, Interactive Pretend Role Play Set • Amazon Business $28.08 1 $28.08
Learning Resources Pretend & Play Fishing Set • Amazon Business $25.49 1 $25.49
Glamour Girl Pretend Play Make up Kit • Amazon Business $21.99 1 $21.99
Newisland 40-Pcs Magnetic Blocks Set Kids Magnetic Toys Construction Building Tiles Blocks for Creativity Educational, Come with Container Bag • Amazon Business $20.98 1 $20.98
VIAHART Brain Flakes 500 Piece Interlocking Plastic Disc Set | A Creative and Educational Alternative to Lego Building Blocks | Tested for Children's Safety | A Great STEM Toy for Both Boys and Girls! • Amazon Business $19.99 1 $19.99
Green Toys Build-a-Bouquet Floral Arrangement Playset • Amazon Business $19.85 1 $19.85
Theo Klein Braun Beauty Case • Amazon Business $16.29 1 $16.29
Learning Resources LER9247 New Sprouts 10 Piece Camp Out Play Set • Amazon Business $14.79 1 $14.79

Materials cost

$649.07

Vendor shipping charges

FREE

Sales tax

$45.76

3rd party payment processing fee

$9.74

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$734.57

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$129.63

Total project goal

$864.20

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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Project Activity

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