Build a Mini-Stage and Reap the Benefits of Play Acting for Children

One of the most important things you can do for your child to help them develop their creative spirit is to design a special performance space in your house for creative play and dress up. Children love to play act, be on stage, and have everyone watch them perform. They love to create characters, make up dialogue, sing, dance, and invite family and friends to come see them “act out.” 

Here are just a few of the educational benefits and skills they will acquire simply by staging their own plays:

•          They learn to spontaneously write dialogue
•          They learn improvisational techniques
•          They learn how to listen to each other
•          They learn to work together as an ensemble
•          They learn how to tell a story. And that’s what theatre is; telling great stories!
•          They learn to re-enact important and funny moments in their lives and by doing so,
•          They create important, fun, poignant moments for the family at the same time.

When I was little my dad created a very simple space in the corner of our basement. It was a 5’ x 8’ box he built out of plywood. It was sturdy, yet portable, so we could move it around if we wanted to create a different sense of space. My mom simply hung a curtain from ceiling hooks on each side of the stage so we could “make an entrance”. We had a big stash of dress up costumes in a chest and we were set! Places everyone!

The cost of creating this mini theatre space for your child is minimal (under $50.00.) and a simple DIY project. All you need, aside from time, is:

•      1 Sheet of ¾” plywood (Plywood comes in 4’x8’ sheets so you will want to design your stage with these dimensions in mind)
•          Nails
•          Hammer
•          2 large handles screwed into each end of the stage makes for ease of movement
•          Left over paint for the stage (theatre stages are black, but, you can certainly use whatever you have on hand. Very Important: make sure you use flat paint! Higher gloss paint will stick to little shoes and that would be very bad.)
•          Old curtains or sheets
•          Planter hooks that screw into the ceiling

Tip: Bring the exact measurements of the stage to your local home improvement store and they will cut the plywood and base for you. BAM! Mr. and Mrs. set designer; you are mere hours from your first opening night event.

For the more fully loaded domestic theatre here are a couple of optional items you may want to include:

• A couple of directors chairs; one for the director and his/her assistant
• A few music stands in case a Reader's Theatre production is on the boards
• A few hand held instruments
• A piano is always a nice touch in case there is an original musical in the works; say at Christmas time or as a summer time homage to Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney?

Remember, the arts are a very important part of a child’s life. Aside from teaching self expression, the arts also help a child to develop a broad and empathetic world view. So, get out that hammer, build a little stage, and encourage those kids to write, direct, act, sing, and dance in their own neighborhood repertory theatre productions. Who knows, you may be nurturing the next Meryl Streep or Lawrence Olivier!