Many school age programs are short on time to produce large scale productions, but summer months provide the opportunity to explore performing arts more intensely.  Offer some of these activities to help fill those long summer days:

• Play Drama Games – This website included many ideas for drama games that may be appropriate for children in your care: http://www.bbbpress.com/dramagames/
• Put on a play – Adapt a favorite story or write your own play with the children. Take steps to put on the production for the other children in the program, including creating the sets and costumes.  This could be adapted to be a puppet show as well.
• World Music – Explore instruments and music from around the world. Ask families to share instruments or music from their culture or region of the world.  Encourage children to compare and contrast different music focusing on the sound of the music and the way the music makes them feel.
• Perform a concert – Introduce songs from around the world to the children. Ask children to teach the other children their favorite songs from their childhood.  Include songs that are sung in different languages.  Put on a concert for the other children in the program.
• Interpretive Dance – Encourage children to listen carefully to a piece of music and determine the mood of the piece. Ask them to create a dance that matches the mood of the piece of music.  Introduce children to different types of music and dance throughout the year.
• Mime – Introduce the children to mime and encourage them to create an act for other children. You could introduce this as a game of charades where the children have to guess what the performer is doing or it could be a comedic act.
• Improvisational theater – The basic concept behind improv is “yes, and,” meaning that performers create an idea, they all agree to act out that idea, and build upon it. Each new idea is agreed to, adapted to, and built upon to create an entertaining performance.
• Cheers, chants, and raps- Encourage the children to create their own lyrics. If they want, they can also create the music and dance moves to accompany their cheer, chant, or rap.

Check out more ideas on our Pinterest page here!

For the Main Article on Performing Arts in ECE, CLICK HERE.

For Infant and Toddler Activity Ideas, CLICK HERE.

For Preschool Activity Ideas, CLICK HERE.

For Director’s Corner Activity Ideas, CLICK HERE.