How to write a play for children

To educate children through art, or simply entertain them, it is necessary to carefully analyze all the elements of a production. The little ones get bored easily, so they require constant stimulation that, at the same time, must be balanced. Therefore, it is essential to know how to write a play for children.

This type of text must expose a high level of empathy, as well as creativity typical of a child's mind, without leaving aside the logic and coherence of adults. And, while it is true that viewers are still very young, it is also true that they always notice those defects that the creators want to hide behind the phrase: “It's a production for children, it doesn't matter.”

How to create a play for children in 8 steps

1. Define the age of your target audience

According to the Royal Spanish Academy of Language, childhood is the period that passes between birth and puberty, so a play aimed at children can have a fairly broad target audience, depending on your age. The list below can help playwrights know all its possibilities. For example:

preschool age

It is a period between 3 and 5 years. In it, it is recommended that the topics to be discussed in the project be simple, with morals and accessible characters, such as animals or animated objects.

School age

This stage corresponds to ages between 6 and 9 years. For this type of work, humorous stories can be proposed, as well as conflict resolution and interaction with the public.

preteen age

It is represented by children between 10 and 12 years old., so it is preferable to address deeper themes, where more developed characters interact. In addition, genres can be varied, including adventure, identity and friendship.

2. Create a simple and clear story

The plays For children, they must have an easy-to-understand structure. To do this, bases as simple as: beginning, middle and end are usually used. As for the topic, it can be related to something fun, such as anecdotes from everyday life that children can understand. On the other hand, these productions tend to leave educational or moral messages, such as the importance of courage, honesty or love.

3. Develop attractive characters

Protagonist

This should be a character that children can identify with or admire. For this, It is essential to provide it with qualities such as courage or sincerity, although without trying to exaggerate these virtues, since the protagonist must also seem like a real person.

Antagonist or villain

First of all, it goes without saying that an antagonist is not the same as a villain. The first enters to oppose the plans of the protagonist and his allies, the second does so to cause harm to the aforementioned. It can also be a challenge that the main character must overcome, and there doesn't necessarily have to be a “bad guy.” Also, it is recommended that it not be too scary or dark.

Side

These can be friends, travel companions, or magical beings who support the protagonist's ideals. The secondary characters They can provide humor, emotional support or be part of the message of the play. It should be noted that, despite being a support for the main ones, they must be developed as much as the latter.

Animals or fantastic characters

On many occasions, plays for children contain the participation of accompanying animals or magical beings, among which it is possible to find fairies, elves, elves, mermaids, among others. Often, They are very popular with the little ones, and they allow a dose of fantasy and humor that is really vital in this type of productions.

4. Define the structure of the story

• Presentation: In the first scene of the play the characters and the world where they live are introduced;
• Conflict: introduces a challenge or problem that the protagonist must solve;
• Development: shows how the protagonist and his friends solve the problem. Humor and tension abound in this section;
• Outcome: Here the story concludes and the moral or message to be received is reinforced.

5. Incorporate visual and musical elements

It is no secret that children are very sensitive to music and visual stimuli, so it is always a good idea to add attractive sounds and colorful scenery to children's works. These elements surprise and fascinate the little ones, In addition, they help maintain interest and reinforce the message or action. Likewise, sound effects can be used to set the mood.

6. Write the dialogues

When it comes to writing dialogues for children's plays, it is essential to keep in mind that these should be short and easy to understand. In addition, A general suggestion is to include touches of humor, word games and funny situations.. On the other hand, little ones love to be part of stories, so, if possible, it is good taste to create interactive texts.

7. Take into account the duration

Children's plays tend to be short—between 30 and 60 minutes, depending on the age of the young audience. At the same time, The project must be full of fast scenes and continuous action, since in this way it is much easier to maintain the short attention span that minors have.

8. Rehearse and adjust the work

If possible, before the final presentation, it is advisable to do a quality test with a group of children to check their reaction to the project. This way, If they do not understand any of the concepts or lose interest, the playwright and other participants will be able to change what is necessary. so that the little ones can enjoy the entire play.

6 children's plays perfect to work on in classes

• Peter and the wolf, by Aesop;
• Frozen, from Disney;
• A Christmas Carolby Charles Dickens;
• The Nutcracker, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky;
• Memories at nap time, by María Elena Walsh;
• Alive and kicking, by Hugo Midón and Carlos Gianni.