Make Your School’s Christmas Play One to Remember
Top Tips for Staging the Perfect Christmas Play
The Christmas play is a big event in a school’s calendar, as it brings everyone together for a chance to participate in an event and show off their talents – not only in front of the school, but also in front of parents and friends.
In order for Christmas plays to go smoothly, it is important to be prepared as they are a great chance to give children the chance to do new things and show everyone what they can do, as well as being a really beneficial learning experience.
When it comes to putting on the perfect Christmas play here are some tips to make sure that your event goes to plan:
– Invest in scripts and music – if you want to put on great Christmas plays for children, it is important that you have a strong script to work with. Using a professionally written script can mean a lot less stress, as it allows you to focus on getting involved with the practise side of things rather than having to devise parts – unless this is something you’re keen to do yourself. Getting pre-written music means that the songs are tailored for a specific age range so will be easy for them to grasp and perform.
– Practice – to get the best out of your Christmas play, it is important for your pupils to practice, as they need to feel comfortable in the roles they are playing and get familiar with them. If children feel they can express themselves and are confident in what they are doing, the performance is more likely to be successful.
– Pick the cast carefully – having a child who isn’t the strongest or clearest speaker dealing with a part that involves a lot of narrative will not help the flow of the Christmas play, and it may cause them to feel unduly pressured and uncomfortable. Of course, it is important to give everyone a chance and those who have less confidence could benefit greatly from being involved in choruses and having some well-guided smaller individual roles.
– Get pupils excited about the play – if the children involved in the Christmas play are excited to be a part of it, they will go about it with more enthusiasm. Similarly, if parents are aware that their children are looking forward to it then they will be more enthusiastic about attending. The more parents and family members that come, the better the atmosphere will be and children will feel that they’ve achieved something special.
– Encourage children to be creative – letting children involved in the school play be flexible with their roles and play the parts as they interpret them can help to boost their confidence in their abilities, and will add a personal touch for the performance.
Overall, there is no right or wrong way to put on Christmas plays for children; the experience is a big positive as it allows them to practice a whole range of things, as well as developing their confidence and opening up the idea of drama to them as a hobby. Giving children the opportunity to get involved in Christmas plays is an important part of the school year, and it is not so much the content that is important but rather the chance to get involved!
Out of the Ark has a great selection of Christmas plays for children of all age groups, with scripts, songbooks, CDs and more available to order online for delivery. Visit their website to view the full range.