Hairdressing Role Play DIY

In the Summer I shared over on Facebook a video that went crazy! It has been view over 4 million times! Hair dressing role play. 

Having worked with children for over 10 years. Quite often you will see children attempting to style each others hair. You can hear parents coming through as they reenact their morning routine of getting ready. 

Many times over the years we have set up role play areas linked to hair dressing after seeing interests unfold within the classroom. 

I was lucky enough to talk to Zaira Almahdi over the Summer who had made this prop for hairdressing role play. I thought it was genius - and you did too! 

I have been sent so many emails asking how this was achieved so I wanted to share a little more with you on how you could go about making something similar. 

You will need:

Cardboard

Scissors

Wool

Glue Gun

Laminating Pouches and Laminator 

A4 card

Whiteboard Pen and Rubber

Pencil

As you can see from the video there is a large rectangular piece of cardboard. This is the frame for the prop. Coloured card has been used to create the clothes that sit on the shoulders of the portrait. 

You can create a face outline using a piece of card, drawing your face shape and laminating it. Cut it out and stick it in place. This will make a surface suitable to use with a whiteboard pen. You will be able to rub the faces drawn off to give a blank surface again to recreate. 

You may want to use velcro to attach the face. This would allow children to add a face shape of their choosing. You can also look at creating templates for the different skin tones. I really love the idea that children could customise their prop. 

For the hair holes have been pierced through to the card and wool has been pulled through these holes. You could use a glue gun to secure the wool in place. You could then add another sheet of cardboard to the back of your prop frame to make the creation sturdy. You can see that a bunch of strands have been posted through each hole.

Add a basket with clips and bows and you have a station for a hairdresser.

Opening the clips on a bow really gets the muscles in the fingers moving. Its a great fine motor activity and a skill to navigate and attach onto the hair working on hand eye co-ordination. 

The children will love adding extra detail and accessories onto their prop.

If you are able to fully supervise the children and feel that cutting the hair is something you think they would enjoy and it's safe for them to do - you may want to give that a go too. 

I would highly recommend that if you go down this route you keep a very close eye on the children to ensure the only hair they cut is on their prop.

Lets take another look at the fabulous prop creates by Zaira in action:

What fun! Have you created something similar? Do get in touch! I would love to share your designs and creations! 

I would like to say a huge thank you to Zaira Almahdi for sharing this brilliant idea and featuring on Learning and Exploring Through Play. 

Other posts to check out on Learning and Exploring Through Play: