Yes, that’s my children’s legacy! As my cousin once said, this is one in “a long line of sub-par theatrical productions”. We did plays, my mother’s family did in-home musical concerts, and I’m sure way back, there were theatrical productions by the pioneer players!
Just like the March girls putting on productions in Little Women my children seem to put on plays when they’re with their cousins. It’s wonderful!
Here are some shots at my in-law’s house of their last play –
What do you need to get all of this fun in your life?
- Dress-ups – (old prom dresses, go to thrift stores for costumes, old Halloween costumes, old dance costumes – just keep a box handy and throw in any old outfits)
- Props – (again, just use what you have – toys, old games, boxes, etc. Let the kids be creative, you’ll be impressed what they do!)
- Space – (Any where – garage, carport, backyard, living room, any place can be a stage!)
- Imagination – (quite honestly, the key here is to have belief in your children. Tell them that they can do it. Maybe they’ll need a story prompt to begin with, but my experience has been to just encourage them to put on a play (a dance, or a show, or a concert) and they will do it. No further prompting needed. Watch them go!)
- Be an audience – (it is quite critical that you and the grandparents and the aunts and uncles watch the show when it’s ready. Film it, set up chairs, have them make tickets and programs, whatever! Just be there. Now, it’s okay to say to them in the middle of the performance, “one more scene” or “one more minute”, because sometimes these things can go on rather long, but MAKE sure to give lots of clapping during curtain call and positive reinforcement (“wow, who knew that you were so creative!?!”, or “I loved the part when …”, or “What happened after …”, the more you talk with your children about what they did, the more they will do.)
Finally, my favorite part is to see all of the cute creative touches. Check out my favorite one from this last performance –
What’s the point of all of this?
- Helps your children become creative problem solvers
- Helps exercise their imaginations
- Great childhood memories
- Builds social skills
- Helps them practice performing
- They become creators, not just consumers
and at the very least –
- Gives you time away from hearing, “I’m bored!” 😉
What shows do your kids do? Let me know in the comments.
Tamarack Idea Factory 