What is Pretend Play?

Pretend Play (also known as ‘imaginative’, ‘role’, or ‘make-believe’ play) is when children take on different roles and act out specific situations. By doing this, they (consciously or unconsciously) express themselves by revealing thoughts, ideas and feelings.

When overseen by a professional teacher within a structured class setting, Pretend Play can be used to build skills that are essential for managing emotions and maintaining healthy relationships.

How does Dramatis use Pretend Play?
In addition to energiser games (which create a welcoming space that children feel safe to share their ideas in) and drama exercises (which develop key skills such as vocal expression and body language), the majority of our classes and workshops use Pretend Play.

For this, we give pupils a stimulus so they can create their own (totally unique!) scene. We then use thoughtful prompts and gentle questioning to help children develop the scenes they are creating.

What are some example activities used in Dramatis classes?

Example Energiser Game: Captain’s Orders
The teacher plays the role of Captain and shouts out a (growing list of) instructions. Pupils must carry them out correctly (and as quickly!) as possible to avoid being thrown overboard. The last sailor standing wins. This game is great for raising energy levels and improving listening skills.

Example Drama Exercise: Pineapple
Pupils are divided into pairs and stand facing each other. One pupil tells the other one some them bad news BUT they’re only allowed to use the word ‘pineapple’. That person must respond to the news also only using the word ‘pineapple’. We then repeat the activity (asking pupils to tell a funny story, some juicy gossip and finally, some really good news). This exercise helps improve empathy and vocal expression.

Example Pretend Play:
We give small groups a stimulus (e.g a location, an object, a closing line, a picture or a poem) around which they must create their own unique scene (ideally incorporating the drama technique they learnt during the class or workshop). We then give personalised feedback (including thoughtful prompts and gentle questioning) to help pupils improve their scene.

Pretend Play is A LOT of fun but it’s not just play for play’s sake.
Read more about the BENEFITS here.