Besides the core classes, elementary students can learn a lot from activities like drama, but many people don't know how to teach drama to this age group so the kids miss out. Never fear, we've got you covered with this helpful blog to get you started. If I can do it, so can you!

Hi! My name is Danielle and I’ve homeschooled my kids from Pre-K through high school. Through the years I’ve led many different ages as we’ve found ways to fit drama into our homeschool, and now I want to share what I’ve learned and continue to learn with you.

Teach Drama to Elementary Students with a Helper

Leading Kindergarten – 2nd graders is often like herding cats, so be sure to have some extra help for this age group. 😉 This way you can break them up into groups or have someone that is helping the kids focus and follow directions while you lead an activity. Kids this age are learning to follow directions, so you need to keep it simple at first. Giving too many steps can lead to confusion and frustration. In the upper elementary years they are more experienced in following directions and ready to be more independent.

Start with the Big Picture in Mind

Start with the big picture in mind, so you know ultimately what you are trying to accomplish with your students. Once I started doing this with plays, it allowed me to enjoy the little accomplishments along the way and not stress about the mistakes or things that didn’t go as planned.

Have a Plan for Drama Class but Be Flexible

Don’t try to do too much in one class time. Get a feel from the class. If they are enjoying an activity, you can continue it a little longer. Kids like repetition. If they are not enjoying it, then tweak the activity or move on to something else. Take note of the ones they really like and bring them back occasionally in future classes.

You don’t have to do it all in one sitting. If you can’t fit it all in, then save some for another day. Remember, try to consider the big picture of what you are trying to accomplish. It helps me let go of some of my plans when things are not going how I expected. It also allows me to continue in an activity that they are enjoying as they get creative and take it to a place I didn’t expect.

Allow Drama Students to Express Their Creativity

They are very creative when you give them a chance. They are good at making up stories, but may be limited in life experience depending on the age, so consider what they are familiar with when giving instructions. If they’ve never seen a baseball game, then they can’t pretend to be at one. Getting to know your students and their backgrounds is a great way to encourage them in their experiences, then expand on them as you meet each class time. You also learn a lot about them as they participate in each activity.

Encourage the Quiet Ones

Try to choose the quiet ones since they are often ignored because the louder students usually get noticed more. If you have a quiet one that refuses to join in, then try to partner with them or encourage them in the little steps they take to participate. They may be your greatest actors and most confident leaders when they finally come out of their shells. (I’ve seen it happen A LOT!!!)

No Theater Room? No Problem!

Just do it! It doesn’t have to be a theater room or a place with just the right stage. You can start anywhere and make it work. Drama is about being creative, so be creative with the space you have.

No Drama Budget? No Problem!

If you don’t have a big budget, then use what you have and borrow the rest. Don’t let that stop you from getting started. It’s amazing what you’ll discover once you start asking for help or telling people you are teaching a drama class.

Keep it Simple

You can play drama games, perform little skits, create puppet shows or a combination of all three activities.

Drama games are so fun, and kids learn so much through them. Use a simple drama game curriculum like Places Everyone! to teach each week. You don’t have to spend a lot of time online searching for ideas when there’s a fun drama curriculum you can get started with today.

Choose a little skit for the kids to perform. Acting out a favorite story or performing a little play can be a fun way for kids to get into character and work together to tell a story. You can find 8 short plays in Fairy Tales and Fables Mini Plays.

Make puppets and let them create their own puppet shows with them. Keep it simple. Paper bag puppets with glue and markers are a good place to start. Old socks are another great option for a simple puppet.

Don’t expect your kids to sew, but also don’t assume they can’t learn something new. Again, you have to consider their current abilities and the amount of help you have. Gluing is usually easier than sewing at the younger ages because of fine motor skills and attention span. (Glue dots are also a wonderful option!)

You Can Teach Drama to Elementary Students

You can teach drama to elementary students with these tips in mind:

• Have a Helper

• Start with the Big Picture in Mind

• Have a Plan but Be Flexible

• Allow Them to Express Their Creativity

• Encourage the Quiet Ones

• No Theater Room, No Problem!

• No Money, No Problem!

• Keep it Simple

Want to get started today? It's easy with our downloadable PDFs. Check out our plays and drama curriculum for some inspiration.

If you have older students you can check out how to teach drama to middle school students or high school students by clicking the separate links.

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Thanks for joining us!

Danielle at homeschooldrama.com