Drama for young children is a multi-dimensional way of deepening the understanding of real vs. pretend. It is a creative way of expressing oneself in multiple ways and facilitates self-confidence, creativity, cooperation, problem solving and thinking from alternate perspectives. Our Extended-Day Creative Dramatics give Pre-Primary students the opportunity to express themselves by taking on different characters and roles; it also helps them reach a comfort level to become actively involved and to use their imaginations in situations which often involve an audience. Throughout the year we use literature, poetry, puppetry, pantomime, role-play, costumes, music, and creative movement. We “become” animals, Wild Things, shopkeepers, princes, princesses, authors, puppeteers, and many more characters along the way!

Preschool children work mostly in whole group movement situations that primarily focus on “pretending to be.…” Then we move into situations in which half the class is sharing and half is the audience. Pre-Kindergarten children begin in whole group situations and move into half group, pairs, and individual activities as they gain confidence to share in front of their audience of classmates.