Classroom Play Kitchen
Few Personal Notes: In most age-appropriate preschool classrooms, creative/dramatic play can take place almost anywhere in the room, but especially in the "Play Kitchen" and "Block Center."  And in September, when everything is new to the children, I've usually found that my basic every-day Play Kitchen and Block Center toys are plenty for that month.  But sometimes, if the children are ready, or especially if you work in a center where the children are already familiar with the toys in the room because they played there during the summer, then you may want to convert one of those centers into another theme-related play area, like an "Apple Orchard' (see below).  Changing the center just a bit doesn't mean you have a major job on your hands either.  You can simply add the new-theme toys to the ones already there.  Or, if you have an "Apple Orchard" creative drama kit (apple orchard related items you've accumulated), just move the other toys back and cover them with a sheet.  Let's say you do an "apple orchard" for September, a "fire station" for October, a "gift wrap shop" for December, and so on.    

Apple Orchard
You can set up a pretend orchard in your dramatic play area perhaps a week before you go to a real orchard and continue it the week after you return.  Here are a few things I've done:

One year my husband made me a carboard tree from a large appliance box, so that was the orchard, but as I reflect back, I could have added more trees cut from shorter boxes.  Attach them to the wall with Ticky-Tack.  (Yes, they may topple over a few times before the end of the unit but that's ok -- just reattach them..)  Apples in yellow, red, and green can be made from construction paper.  Children can attach and re-attach them to the trees using Ticky-Tack.  (By the way, I call it Ticky-Tack throughout my website, but you may have another name for it.  It's that playdoh like stuff you can buy at educational supply stores.)

Other props might include:
>Store counter (small table) and cash register with play money (I've made play dollars from green construction paper and printed dollar bill numbers on them.  Plastic chips make good pretend change.)
>Cut down different sizes of brown bags for children to gather their apples in
>Provide all the toy cookware, dishes, etc so children can create their own tasting/cooking events
>An apple orchard sign -- have children think of the name.  (You can talk about how sometimes orchards are named after the people who own them, etc).

Oh, for durability, you could cut the apples from posterboard and cover them with clear contact paper.  As for the tree, you can use it again for fall and spring leaf activities.

Other September Creative Drama Corner Options
*Pretend Classroom (a children's classroom within a children's classroom, so to speak): Children could role play being teacher and students.  Props could include almost anything from the bigger (outer) classroom.  This would be an especially neat place for acting out "Mary Had a Little Lamb." 
* A "Circle" House: Cut circles from a huge appliance-sized box (circular door, windows, etc).  Put the "house" in the Quiet Corner where children can go inside and enjoy a book or be alone.  

See suggestions for creating your own "Creative Drama Kits" in my "Community Helpers" booklet.  I create and sell booklets and other teaching aids to help defer the costs of keeping my website on the internet.  You can find my booklets and games here in "Stormie's Stuff for Teachers" then keep hitting your back button to return to this page.  Financial donations are also greatly appreciated as my website is now a part-time career for me. 

E-mail your ideas too and I'll post them below:

>Here's a great idea from Jenny S in New Hampshire:
Stormie, to reinforce the concept of opposites, you can create an open/closed sign for the little store counter of the orchard.

>From Kimerly Gaines:
Backdrops: I like drawing thematic murals as backdrops for my creative drama corner.  Actually, the children like watching me draw them (a good time to work on it is at naptime).  But if you don't feel that creative, use the children's artwork as backdrops.
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Reminder from Stormie: If you would like to begin collecting ALL my current classroom ideas (each on a 4 x 6" index card), as well as new ones that I create, you can do so by ordering my "Activity Cards."  Click here to check them out.