Drama for Preschoolers: Why You Want Some!

Preschoolers love drama!  When you look at all the positive benefits it has for them, you will love it too!  Here are five reasons to use dramatic play with your preschoolers and two ways to get started:

Five Ways Your Preschooler Benefits from Dramatic Play:

1.  Dramatic Play improves your child's memory!  Drama activates (or pretends to activate) all five senses in activities that mimic real life.  Each sense that is associated with an experience reinforces the memories tied to that sense.

2.  Dramatic Play teaches communication skills!  Speaking clearly and listening are skills that will be important throughout your child's life.  Drama is a great way to practice both of them.

3.  Dramatic Play engages creativity and imagination!  Activities that allow your child to express and grow their creativity and imagination will improve their problem-solving skills for years.

4.  Dramatic Play is an outlet for children to fix reality!  Life isn't always fair for children, but dramatic play lets them create their own universe where everything follows their rules.  It also give them a chance to analyze life from a different perspective and make sense of events that can be confusing.

5.  Dramatic Play helps children learn non-verbal cues!  Important expressions that take children time to pick up on (like "pursed lips" or "knit eyebrows") can be discussed and mimicked in drama so that children recognize them in "real life."  This strengthens children's ability to "read" and interact with others.

Two Ways to Start Using Drama With Your Preschooler:

1.  Re-enact a Thanksgiving Dinner using toys as props!  Your preschooler knows all about Thanksgiving, so let her lead the game.  Set up a "table" in the playroom and find all the props your child suggests.  Let her choose the dishes and serve the meal!

2.  Play Charades!  Take turns acting out an animal and guessing what the other person's animal is.  Vary the rules to introduce variety--play a few rounds where no sounds are allowed and a few rounds where you can make noises.  Be flexible when you begin--if your child can't figure out what you are, try giving her a hint or making a sound.

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