Are you excited about leading a Performing Arts Adventure but need some inspiration? Check out these ideas to help kick start your imagination about what magical experience you can lead for kids.
Produce a Puppet Show
First, decide on your story. For younger kids, it may be easier to use a well-known and simple story (like The Three Little Pigs or Goldilocks and the Three Bears). Encourage older children to put their own spin on a classic fairy tale or even write their own script from the start. Next, make your puppets. There are so many styles to choose from and many ways to decorate them. Take into consideration the age/ability of the child, as well as the materials available. Here are a few types for inspiration: paper bag puppets, popsicle stick puppets, hand puppets, sock/mitten puppets, and toilet paper roll puppets. Finally, practice acting out your story together. Encourage voices for different characters. Have more time? Make scenery/backdrops to enhance the show.
Why Kids Will Love It
Budding actors will love the idea of creating their very own performance from start to finish. Plus they get to play all the parts, from director to star!
Why Parents Will Love It
Putting on a puppet show builds confidence and concentration while helping children develop language and communication skills.
Make It Extra Special
Got a big cardboard box laying around? Create a puppet stage to make the show extra fun. Paint your theater’s name across the top. Add some fabric for a curtain. It’s showtime!
Make Your Own Music Video
Pick a song from any decade. Listen to it a few times. Then begin to learn the words for voice-over/lip-sync and make up dance steps to go along. Create 30/45 seconds at a time, to remember what you created. Keep adding on dance moves and learning the words. Feel free to repeat steps and dance moves to keep it simple.
Why Kids Will Love It
Individual expression through picking out songs they like and making up their own moves to their favorite songs.
Why Parents Will Love It
Watching your child’s coordination and memorization skills, along with growing confidence to get up and perform for others. Working in a group and getting along with others.
Make It Extra Special
Film it and add in props and costumes and use a karaoke speaker and microphones.
Flashlight Production
Grab your flashlight and find or create a dark space where you can begin exploring shadows against the wall. First explore hand shadows, making different shapes, size, depth etc. Add the whole body: how big you get and how small you get depends on how close you are to the light.
Spell your name with your body or make animal shapes and see if the shape and shadows are clear on the wall. Create any story to go along with the shadows/shapes and light to make your story come to life. Take turns watching the flashlight production and add storytelling to the animals/creatures and shapes you made.
Why Kids Will Love It
They’ll get to create a story and design the light on the story.
Why Parents Will Love It
Storytelling helps to build communication and self-confidence skills.
Make It Extra Special
Add multiple hanging sheets, or adding different color lights or plastic wraps over the flashlights.
Make A Hand Dance
Start by coming up with a hand gesture. Have the child take your move and add something to it. Go back and forth with each other. Keep practicing the accumulated moves until you have a full dance you created together. Repeat exercise with new challenges: moves have to follow a small, medium, large pattern or have to move you across the room. After the second round, combine the two dance! Repeat and practice as many times as you like!
Why Kids Will Love It
They’ll create their own movement and have ownership of their dance.
Why Parents Will Love It
Learning choreography helps to develop self-awareness skills by practicing directional movement.
Make It Extra Special
Add speaking: a poem, a story, or have a conversation while dancing.
Storytelling Charades
Create flashcards together by writing out different verbs/actions, adjectives, and nouns creating about a stack of 10 or more cards. Each player takes turns picking a card and acting out what’s on it, while others try to guess what they’re doing. Once you have completed the cards see if you can put all the cards together to make a story, even if it is a silly one!
Why Kids Will Love It
Any chance to be silly is exciting!
Why Parents Will Love It
Kids are learning critical thinking and communication skills while getting their goofy energy out.
Make It Extra Special
Add costumes/props and perform the whole scenario for the family. The stack of cards can be left with the kids and played with parents and other family members, creating a game night.
Choreograph A Line Dance
Start by creating a simple line dance. It can be short—4 moves. Take that phrase and do it on the right side then figure it out on the left side. Practice a few times. Begin to add on and make new phrases- 4 counts/moves and see if you can move it forwards then backwards Practice it a few times. Put both the phrases together. Switch it and change directions, see how many ways you can rotate your line dance. You can add on as many movements to make a whole line dance to any song!
Why Kids Will Love It
They’ll be able to create their own movement and have ownership of their dance.
Why Parents Will Love It
Learning choreography helps to develop self-awareness skills by practicing directional movement.
Make It Extra Special
Add claps/stomping/ snapping to help remind you what direction to change and switch to.
Looking for more ideas to kickstart your Adventure creativity? Here are some creative ideas for Adventures in each of the available categories. Have fun!
