desserts

Hands down this dessert bar play center is one of my preschooler’s favorites. It was available for a month this past March/April and played in every single school day.

Your little learners will love playing in this tasty dessert bar dramatic play center with a coffee brewing station.

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Supplies To Collect

No store is off-limits when gathering supplies for this tasty dramatic play center. Since it’s easy to find play food and kitchenware sets, the center is pretty effortless to put together.

Items in this dessert bar are:

a variety of cupcakes and cookies
brownie set
muffins
pie
cake slice
disposable plates
cutlery
cups and saucers
food trays
coffee brewing set
cash register
play money
vase with flowers

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The Dessert Bar Play Center

A shelving unit showcases the desserts beautifully.

Delectable dessert bar play food displayed on a shelf with see-through cubicles.

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A table and chair set make a cozy area to “eat” dessert. A mammoth mom and baby joined in this setup!

A dessert bar tablescape ready to be enjoyed by little learners.

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A play coffee brewing set is nice to have. Mine came from a discount store, and the children loved making and serving coffee with it.

A coffee brewing station is a fun addition to a dessert bar dramatic play center.

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This elegant little tray was a happy find at a dollar store, and I snapped up a few. They weren’t available long, so I’m sure other people realized how special they were too. The shiny trays showcase the desserts well.

A shiny play tray to add elegance to a dessert bar play center.

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A sign and menu posted on a wall indicate the type of restaurant and what is served. Pictures of desserts accompanied by captions help create an ambiance.

Add ambiance to a dessert bar play center with a sign, menu, and pictorial quotes.

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The menu is helpful to check prices and see how much to pay for orders. When the food is laid out like a chart, it makes it easy for preschoolers to add up how much an order costs.

Make a graph with play food to show how much a dessert bar order costs.

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Benefits Of The Dessert Bar Center

Aside from counting and addition opportunities, this center allows children to make choices by selecting desserts. And they can practice turn-taking and role-playing by being the server and the customer.

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Enhancing The Dessert Bar

After a few days, setting out a new dessert such as a play cake set would help keep children’s interest in the center going. And pictorial signs attached to shelving cubicles would enhance the literacy component and give opportunities for sorting and matching desserts. Can you think of anything else to add?

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Your little learners will love playing in this tasty dessert bar pretend play center with a coffee brewing station.

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This dessert bar play center is bound to be a hit with your little learners. Just a few supplies provide many opportunities for vibrant learning through play. Start out with economical play food, such as dollar store cupcake and cake sets. The selection of desserts need not be elaborate…children will love the center no matter how big or small it is.

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Related: Winter Wonderland Tablescape

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[Read more…]

Easy s'mores bars to make indoors year-round for family and friends. Just three ingredients are needed for this gooey, melty dessert

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This easy s’mores bars recipe comes from having forgotten to add wrapped round chocolates to October treat bags. Orange and purple don’t naturally transition into November activities, so I decided to use the chocolates in this melty dessert.

To add versatility to the recipe, I also feature chocolate coins and chocolates wrapped in Christmas style.

S’mores bars were originally classic campfire treats. Made indoors they can be enjoyed year-round. And little learners love to help make them!

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S’mores Bars Supplies To Collect

Just three ingredients are needed for this melty, tasty, indoor s'mores bars recipe.

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Gather the following ingredients and baking supplies:

toasted coconut marshmallows
coin-shaped chocolates
graham wafers or gluten-free crackers
parchment or wax paper
2 cookie sheet pans

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Making These Easy S’Mores Bars

Steps to make an easy sheet pan s'mores dessert recipe.

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Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.

Spread the graham wafers onto two sheet pans lined with parchment or wax paper.

Place a toasted coconut marshmallow on top of each wafer on one pan. Set unwrapped chocolates on the wafers on the other pan.

Heat both pans in the oven for three to five minutes. Watch carefully as the square halves can easily be overbaked.

Sandwich wafers with chocolate together with marshmallow wafers and place on a dessert plate. Serve when slightly cooled.

Delicious s'mores bars recipe using just three ingredients.

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Stacked s'mores bars made with an easy, three-ingredient recipe.

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Variations Of This S’Mores Bars Recipe

My recipe features gluten-free graham crackers. Graham wafers are a traditional choice.

Regular or mini marshmallows can be substituted for toasted coconut ones.

Creamy Hershey’s chocolate bar squares can be used instead of wrapped chocolates. And why not experiment with one of Hershey’s festive flavors, such as “Strawberries ‘n’ Cream, “Birthday Cake”, or “Cookies ‘n’ Mint.”

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