Drama And puppetry

Drama 

Drama in early childhood education represents pretend play. Children, in drama, use movement, voice, and character to share ideas, feelings, or stories. Drama can take multiple forms such as acting out a story, role-playing a realistic scenario, or pretending to perform an original story. Drama allows children to engage with different perspectives, creatively solve problems, and practice social-emotional and communication skills.

 

Puppetry

Puppetry is the art of utilizing puppets, or objects that represent a character, that are animated by a person to convey stories or concepts. In early learning, puppetry gives children the opportunity to engage in storytelling and express feelings and emotions, as well as try out voice and dialogue in a playful way without threat.

Age groups

0-2 year old

0-2

Years Puppet Peekaboo Play: Children use their hands or fingers to manipulate the puppets during song calls for participation.

Mirror Emotion Play: While the teacher demonstrates various emotions with the puppets, children explore facial expressions by looking in the mirror.

2-3 years old

2-3 Years

Animal Role-Play: Children role-play animals using minimal props such as ears, tails, and sounds.

Puppet Storytime Extension: Children re-enact a story they know (e.g., The Very Hungry Caterpillar) using basic puppets.

3-5 year old

3-5 years

Dramatic Prop Play - “The Costume Chest”: Children choose costumes/props related to a theme (e.g., community helpers, fairytale characters) and work together to act out scenes from a story they know or have invented.

Puppet Theatre Production: Children work in smaller groups to make simple puppets (socks, paper bags, sticks), develop a storyline (either invented or modified), and perform their puppet theatre using a large cardboard box as a back drop.

6-8 year old

6-8 year

Puppet Storytime Extension: Children retell a story they know (e.g. The Very Hungry Caterpillar) using basic puppets. Scripted Role-play with Peer Director: Children work together to write a short script (e.g. an alternate version of The Three Little Pigs), cast themselves in roles and rehearse. One child acts as a director and will have a role in facilitating the performance.

Importance

The use of drama and puppetry are positive avenues for fostering creativity in young children. Letting children engage in imaginative play, role-playing and storytelling, allows them to learn about emotions, problem-solving, and other viewpoints. This provides them with experiences that encourage communication along with developing empathy, language development and social skills. Drama and puppetry will foster in children inclusive play experiences that have lower stakes where they can express themselves verbally and non- verbally. When children engage in make-believe scenarios, they activate higher order thinking and develop narrative ability. The activities foster confidence, cooperation and innovation, which are all important qualities of a creative thinker. The incorporation of drama and puppetry in early learning, fuels curiosity, risk-taking, and imaginative fluency in all developmental domains.

Creativity Theories

Vygotsky's sociocultural theory of child development supports the use of drama and puppetry in early childhood education. Vygotsky underscored the significance of social interaction and the importance of imaginative play for children's cognitive development. He argues that "pretend play develops the higher functions, including abstract thought." Vygotsky's ideas align well with Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences, particularly bodily-kinesthetic intelligence and interpersonal intelligence. In addition to these theories, Craft (2002) emphasizes "little c" creativity when identifying the everyday creative acts of storytelling and role-play as children age. These challenges should enable educators to expand their understanding of creative expression which highlights "not simply performance", but an integral part of making meaning and holistic development in the lives of young learners.