Playwriting for Kids
Ages: 5–7 (Grades K–2)
A 10-week immersive journey where imagination, storytelling, and creative writing transform into an original theatrical performance.
Finding Our Storytelling Voices (Weeks 1–4)
Week 1: Creating Our Story Circle.
Focus: Building trust, creativity, and ensemble.
Activity: Through theatre games and storytelling exercises, students get to know one another and discover that every great story begins with listening. Together, we create a safe and playful space where every idea is welcome.
Week 2: Where Do Stories Come From?
Focus: Imagination and idea generation.
Activity: "The Magic Box." Students pull imaginary objects from a mystery box and invent stories about who owns them, where they came from, and what adventures they have experienced.
Week 3: Creating Unforgettable Characters.
Focus: Character development and empathy.
Activity: "Character Hats." Students invent original characters by selecting funny traits, special talents, and secret wishes. They explore what makes each character unique.
Week 4: Feelings Make Stories Interesting.
Focus: Emotional intelligence and dramatic action.
Activity: "The Feeling Journey." Students place characters into different situations and discover how emotions shape decisions, relationships, and adventures.
Building Our Fitional World (Weeks 5–7)
Week 5: Creating Magical Places.
Focus: Setting and world-building.
Activity: "The Giant Map." Together, students create a giant story world filled with completely imaginary places where their characters can live and explore.
Week 6: The Great Problem and The Great Solution
Focus: Plot and creative problem-solving.
Activity: "What Happens Next?" Students discover that every story needs a challenge. Together they invent exciting problems, obstacles, and surprises for their characters to overcome as well as solutions-resolutions for those obstacles.
Week 7: Writing Our Play.
Focus: Story structure and literacy.
Activity: Students create the scenes, dialogue, and major events of their original play through guided writing, drawing, and storytelling exercises. Their ideas become the foundation of the final script.
Bringing the Story to Life (Weeks 8–9)
Week 8: The Playwright's Chair.
Focus: Confidence, authorship, and leadership.
Activity: Students share scenes from their play and act as playwrights, helping guide actors and classmates as they bring the story to life. They learn that writers have the power to shape the world of the play.
Week 9: Rehearsing Our Creation.
Focus: Collaboration and revision.
Activity: Students watch their script take shape through rehearsal. Together they make creative choices, refine ideas, and see how theatre transforms words into action. They cast other classmates to read their scenes an see how written words change when acted by others.
Premiere (Week 10)
Week 10: The World Premiere.
The Show: Family and friends are invited to watch the original play created by the students throughout the program.
The Playwright Celebration: Each student receives an Ánima Latina certificate recognizing them as an Official Young Playwright.
Goal: Ending the program with pride, confidence, and the understanding that their ideas, words, and imagination have the power to inspire others.
Key Pedagogical Outcomes
Development of Creative Confidence
Students learn that their ideas matter. By contributing characters, dialogue, and story elements, they develop the confidence to share their imagination and trust their own creative instincts.
Foundations of Storytelling & Literacy
Through character creation, world-building, and script development, students gain an early understanding of narrative structure, sequencing, dialogue, and written expression while strengthening literacy skills through play.
Collaboration Through Story Creation
Playwriting teaches students that stories are stronger when built together. Throughout the program, students practice listening, negotiating ideas, supporting classmates, and celebrating collective artistic achievement.