It’s me, Deanna, the teacher with 20+ years experience who, like you, is practicing social distancing at home with my child. I have decided to use my training and experience to develop a daily list of activities for you to do at home with your kids.
Note: I have been doing more to support teachers in my board as they are supporting their own students. This means I have less time to work on these posts, so this one is shorter than most. But feel free to look at previous ones for inspiration.
Reminder: There is a movement to put a teddy bear in the window for today, March 27, so people can go on a “bear hunt” when they go for a walk.
Today is World Theater Day a day to celebrate the value and importance of the art form “theatre”. So the activities are all centered around theater.
Watch Some Theater
Not in time for tomorrow, but the National Theater will be live streaming a new play every week on YouTube, starting on Tuesday, April 2. Broadway HD is also an option, but they only have a 7 Day free trial, and then it costs money. Playbill has an up to date list of live theater performances and where they will be streaming.
You can also watch film adaptations of plays and (mostly) musicals. Check your favourite streaming platforms and use parent discretion. Here is a short list:
- West Side Story (1961)
- Les Misérables (2012)
- Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
- Rock of Ages (2012)
- Grease Live (2016)
- Annie (1982)
- Mama Mia
Read Some Plays
Read some plays about with your kids. You can find plays at your local library’s digital service or lots of free ones on the web. Here are a few:
Learn About Shakespeare
Shakespeare was the most influential playwright in history. Spend some time with your kids learning about Shakespere and his influence.
When you are done, the Folger Library has some excellent activities for kids to do after.
Perform Some Theater
This is probably the most important thing you can do with your kids on this day. Have them create and perform their own plays. They can retell a favourite book, movie or TV show. Or they can create their own stories to tell. Encourage them to make props and gather costumes. Older kids can make a program for the play. Look at this how-to for help. When they are ready, watch their performance.
Watch Some Fictionalized Theater
Theater has been the topic of many movies and TV shows. Have your kids watch a few of these and compare them to their own experiences. As always, use your knowledge of your kids to determine if these are appropriate or not. Check your favourite streaming service or local library for these.
Deanna Toxopeus is a teacher with 20+ years of experience teaching students from Grade 1 to Grade 8. She is currently an Itinerant Teacher of Assistive with the OCDSB. The opinions she expresses in this blog are wholly her own.