Finding the right drama resource can make the difference between an activity that needs lots of preparation and one that children can step into straight away. I have written the Drama Start and On Stage collections for teachers, early years educators, parents and drama leaders who want practical material that can be adapted to the children in front of them.
Drama books for young children
For younger children, I like drama to begin with imagination rather than performance. A simple idea, character, object or story can lead into movement, mime, role play and children’s own suggestions.
Drama Start was written with this kind of flexible work in mind. It includes drama activities, plays and monologues for children aged approximately 3–8. You can view Drama Start on Amazon.
Short play scripts for primary school
Short scripts are useful when you want children to experience character, dialogue and storytelling without spending weeks rehearsing. Flexible casting and minimal props also make a script much easier to use in an ordinary classroom.
Aesop’s Fables on Stage contains 18 short plays for children aged 5–11. Familiar stories such as The Lion and the Mouse, The Hare and the Tortoise and The Boy Who Cried Wolf can also open discussion about kindness, honesty, patience and choices. Read more about Aesop’s Fables on Stage, or browse my books on Amazon.
Fairytale plays children already know
Traditional stories work particularly well in drama because children often know the characters and basic plot before they begin. That leaves more room to experiment with voices, movement, alternative choices and different ways of playing a scene.
Fairytales on Stage turns familiar fairytales into accessible children’s plays. See Fairytales on Stage on Amazon.
Drama activities rather than a finished performance
Not every drama session needs to end with a play. Some of the richest work happens while children are exploring: deciding what might happen next, becoming characters, creating an environment, solving a problem or changing the direction of a story.
If this is the kind of work you are looking for, explore the free drama workshops and ideas on the Drama Start blog. You can try an idea with your group before deciding whether you need a larger collection.
Movement, storytelling and drama for different groups
Different groups need different starting points. Some children respond immediately to a story; others engage through movement, games or taking on a role. My wider collection includes books for movement, ESL drama, older children, fables, fairytales, myths, legends and story-based performance.
You can see the different collections on my Drama Books and Play Scripts page, or browse Julie Meighan’s full Amazon author page.
Choosing a drama book
Think first about what you want the children to experience. For imaginative exploration with younger children, choose flexible drama activities and starting points. For literacy, assemblies or drama clubs, short scripts can work particularly well. For groups who love familiar stories, fairytales and fables give children an immediate way into character and action.
Whichever route you choose, the aim is the same: give children enough structure to feel secure, but enough space for their own ideas to matter.
Running an after-school or lunchtime group? See the How to Start a School Drama Club practical toolkit for session planning, activities and performance ideas.
