All the World's a Stage

I have fond memories of being with my sisters on our front porch and rehearsing scenes from a made up play. Singing and dancing our hearts out - not for an audience but for just for the joy and art of storytelling. Doing things for the fun of it is becoming increasingly less frequent in our kids' lives as we continue to schedule more and more over their free time. Unstructured imaginative play is crucial for cognitive and social development and increases problem solving skills, builds emotional strength, and fosters creativity. 


With all that in mind (and because it sounded like fun), last Christmas we ran with the idea to build a stage in our basement. I'd always wanted to turn that unfinished space into a bright, open playroom, but it never quite made the top of the financial priority list. Since it was just an open area of concrete, wood, and steel, some pretty cool guys (thank you Dad and Uncle Jim!) dreamed up a simple but super fun stage design and put the entire thing in in one day.

Aside from the silly fun our kids and their friends have down there, we noticed some immediate and lasting benefits. The kids work together to create something they've dreamed up. The amount of hours spent discussing, consulting, and compromising are unique to that environment directly below our kitchen. There's nothing quite as organic as the creative process and left alone to children, it is truly a beautiful thing to behold. 

For them, this stage is not about performing or even the end product (in fact, only Grandmom and Granddad have been treated to a "show" and that's because they begged). It's not about having an audience and none of our kids have aspirations of being performing artists. It's about pure pretending and creating - things that aren't always easily accessed in today's world of high accomplishment, achievement, and electronic entertainment. I love watching them lose themselves in their imagination and cooperating in a give and take process. 


In this world imagination is king. There's a wide variety of "acts" that take place on that stage. Pirate battles including fight choreography and sound effects by the boys and their cousins, dramatic poetry reading or expressive movement by middle school girls, acted out Bible stories or Shakespearean plays, original music involving ALL sort of instruments, or just improvisational comedy (yes, it's only funny to a parent). It's a place for them to be inspired, let go, and just dream. 

Our stage consists of wood, black fabric (thank you Tyler), and running lights, but creating a space for kids to tell stories and use their imagination can be anything. I've seen some pretty cool homemade puppet theaters, simple sheets and blankets to create backdrops, or just big cardboard boxes available to become rocket ships or trains. There's no right way to create an environment that encourages creativity - just some space and freedom is all they need.


A lot of a child's learning can be gained through somewhat of a passive relationship between the child and the information. Allowing children to create with no boundaries and with no specific end in mind strengthens their imaginative skills and capacity to think beyond the norm. Because regardless of what they become - a banker, architect, medical professional (or maybe a pirate) - what we want is for these future community builders to think beyond limits and dream up new possibilities.


Now on with the show!