Pretend characters and stories — Art, 4–6 years
Use your body, voice and imagination to become a character and show what happens. Art, 4–6 years.
A role-play makes a story visible
In role-play, you act as someone or something else for a while. Your voice, face, body and pretend objects show the character and help other people understand what is happening in the story.
Why pretend?
Stories were shared by speaking and acting long before screens and books were common. Role-play solves the problem of showing an event that is not happening now. It also lets people try a different point of view safely.
The lost teddy
Make a short scene about a lost teddy. First be the child who looks under a chair and says, “Where are you?” Then become the teddy, hiding quietly. Finally switch back, find it in a box and show relief with your face and voice.
It need not look real
Some people think a pretend tree, crown or house must look perfect before the story can begin. That is understandable: real objects have familiar shapes. In role-play, a scarf can become a river if your actions and words make the idea clear.
Stories help us understand others
Pretend play appears in theatre, puppetry, festivals and family games. Actors use it to let an audience see a problem, a feeling or a choice through a character. In everyday life, acting out a situation can help people explain what happened.
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