The Lessons of Theater

At Home and in Drama Programs, Everybody Can Be a Star

There are opportunities to introduce your children to drama every day. Seize mundane moments and add the creative flair that makes a difference!

Read, read, read. Theater is storytelling. Expose your children to the joys of language. Read poetry aloud. Talk about the stories you read together. Ask, "Why did the characters make certain decisions? What will happen next?" Visit local library story hours.
Dress-up and act out. Fill a box full of old clothes for dressing up. Provide colored scarves that can become capes, ball gowns or princess hair. A refrigerator box becomes a puppet theater or a main prop. Encourage open-ended play. Provide puppets and watch your couch become the stage.
Make-believe. Encourage your children's imagination with fantasy play. Ask them to imitate their favorite animal. Play charades, practice pantomime, put on music and dance in your living room.
Incorporate theater into family celebrations. Holidays are perfect for quick skits. Help the cousins act out the story of the first Thanksgiving. Invite the neighbors to stage a dramatic reading of The Twelve Days of Christmas - complete with lords a-leaping and ladies dancing.
Expose children to a variety of theatrical experiences - dance performances, magic shows, dramas, comedies, musicals, puppet shows and the circus.