The Play’s the Thing! Kids Creating Plays
Put together a group of kids and place parents (aka enthusiastic potential audience) in the next room—and what do you get?
It might be a puppet show, a humorous skit, a song and dance routine, or a spontaneous rap. Give kids an hour, some simple props, costumes, accessories, puppets (or the materials to make them)—and one or more parents to laugh and applaud, and you've got one of the best activities money can't buy.
This is a great activity for a mixed-age group of kids—for instance, when family or friends with children get together.
Here are some suggestions for encouraging your kids to collaborate in putting on a show.
The lines and themes—Scripts are not generally needed, but do help keep everyone on the same page. Kids who write may enjoy creating original dialogue. Those who read may work from existing plays or the words in children's books. Improvisation works well as long as the kids have some idea of a story line or theme.
The stories in Highlights ® can be a great resource—for instance, kids can stage a Goofus and Gallant ® play or take turns doing stand-up comedy with the jokes and riddles that appear in HighlightsKids.com each month.
The director—Encourage teamwork. Often it's the oldest child in the group (or the most theatrically inclined) who decides on the play and organizes the effort. But do keep an ear out for excessive bossiness. If kids don't come up with ideas of their own, parents can help get the production rolling by providing suggestions.
The props—Kids do well with just their imaginations, but a pretend telephone, a bouquet of faux flowers, or a stuffed animal can provide dramatic inspiration.
The costumes—Hats and old clothes work wonders in helping kids transform themselves into their roles.
The audience—This won't be Shakespeare, but remember that even Shakespeare wasn't always "Shakespeare." Enjoy the performance, applaud, and encourage curtain calls—even if there isn't a curtain!
You'll find ideas for helping kids making puppets by going to Make Puppets.