Creating Theater Classes for Toddlers

Last year when I was first starting my business, a preschool contacted me about offering lessons for various age groups, including toddlers as young as 2 years old. I quickly realized that the imagination activities I use for ages 3+ were not appropriate for such young learners. 

Toddlers who are just starting to speak need visual cues to understand and participate in activities. So I adapted my lessons for that age group to include books, puppets, and pictures. The best books for these lessons are books that are written for very young audiences and include repetition, for instance, a book about fish that describes the fish swimming different ways or in different directions. 

Once I find the right story, I create simple puppets for the students to use so that they can interact with the story. One of the easiest ways to create durable puppets is to cut them out of felt. At the beginning of the story, I distribute the puppets by calling out the color options and having students raise their hands when I’ve called out the color they want. Students love using their puppets to play out the actions in the stories.

Some stories have too many characters to use puppets with them, but they have several simple actions that the students can act out during the story. For example, there might be a story about the insects and animals in a garden where each page shows a different creature and what it is doing (a bee buzzing, a grasshopper hopping, a bird flying, etc.). 

I also try to find or create simple songs that align with the theme of the lesson. It helps to follow the same theme for several weeks so that students have more time to learn the songs. These lessons last 15-20 minutes, but they are a great way to keep young toddlers engaged in story-time!