Helpful Guides
How to Put on a Short Play
Three-page guide to putting on short plays with young children.
How to Turn Stories into Plays
Complete guide to creating plays based on children’s books!
Books for Children to Act Out
List of 75 children’s books to use in drama class. Includes extra information on each title!
Plays with Flexible Casting
(These plays contain characters which can be played by either male or female actors.)
Snow White Rap
15+ characters. Approximately 7 minutes running time. Fun version of Snow White that includes rap!
Fred the Skunk
15 characters. Flexible gender casting, as characters are all animals. Approximately 10 minutes running time. Short play about a skunk who wants to make friends.
The Explorers and the Aliens
Two-page science-fiction themed script for young children. Parts for fifteen, with flexible casting.
Jack and the Beanstalk Rap
12+ characters. Flexible casting. Approximately 10 minutes running time. Fun version of Jack and the Beanstalk that includes raps!
The Dilemma of the Broken Feeder
12+ characters, flexible cast. 8 pages long. Approximately 5-10 minutes running time. A short play featuring animal characters.
The Three Little Pigs Rap
11+ characters. Approximately 7 minutes running time. Fun version of the Three Little Pigs that includes rap!
The Slumber Party in the Woods
11 characters. As written, it is for an all-girl cast, but can be adapted to accommodate male cast members. 7 pages. Approximately 8 minutes running time.
The Ever Changing Story
10+ characters. 5M, 5F, Flexible Cast; 5 pages in length. Approximately 5 minutes running time. A comedic journey along America’s West-Coast for children written by Terence Patrick Hughes.
A Sea Change in the Forest
9 characters. Approximately 5 minutes running time. Short environmental play about keeping our woodlands safe, while continuing to provide lumber for society.
Little Red Riding Hood Rap
9+ characters. Approximately 5 minutes running time. Fun version of Little Red Riding Hood that includes rap!
Ghostly Rap
7-20 characters.6 pages long. Approximately 5 minutes running time. Ghost story play for children that includes ‘raps.’
Dog, Cat, and the Red Bird
6 characters. Flexible cast; 3 pages in length. Approximately 1-5 minutes running time. A short play for children about acceptance by Shaneisha Dodson.
The Google-Bob Berry Bush
Short Dr. Seuss-style script for ages 5-7. 6+ parts. Flexible casting. 3 pages long.
The Banyan Tree and the Little Grass
5+ characters. 5 pages in length. Approximately 5 minutes running time. A folktale for young children written by Sashi Mendis.
The Swan and the Rubbish
5-14 characters. 4 pages long. Approximately 3 minutes running time. A kind swan picks up garbage after people visit a park.
The Moon and Her Mother
5+ characters. Approximately 3 minutes running time. Short play based on an Aesop fable.
The Little Grey Cloud
4 characters. Flexible casting. 5 pages in length. Approximately 5 minutes running time. A story about making friends for young children written by Sashi Mendis.
Plays by Cast Size
(Organized by size of cast with larger casts listed first.)
18 Siblings in the Old Woman’s Shoe
18 characters. 6 pages in length. Approximately 6 minutes running time. A short nursery rhyme adaptation by playwright, Mariah Beachboard.
The Explorers and the Aliens
Two-page science-fiction themed script for young children. Parts for fifteen, with flexible casting.
The Troll’s Heart
12+ characters. This can be a whole-class play. Approximately 7 minutes running time. Fantasy play about a troll who turns a little girl into different animals.
The Dilemma of the Broken Feeder
12+ characters, flexible cast. 8 pages long. Approximately 5-10 minutes running time. A short play featuring animal characters.
The Slumber Party in the Woods
11 characters. As written, it is for an all-girl cast, but can be adapted to accommodate male cast members. 7 pages. Approximately 8 minutes running time.
The Ever Changing Story
10+ characters. 5M, 5F, Flexible Cast; 5 pages in length. Approximately 5 minutes running time. A comedic journey along America’s West-Coast for children written by Terence Patrick Hughes.
Dog, Cat, and the Red Bird
6 characters. Flexible cast; 3 pages in length. Approximately 1-5 minutes running time. A short play for children about acceptance by Shaneisha Dodson.
The Banyan Tree and the Little Grass
5+ characters. 5 pages in length. Approximately 5 minutes running time. A folktale for young children written by Sashi Mendis.
The Swan and the Rubbish
5-14 characters. 4 pages long. Approximately 3 minutes running time. A kind swan picks up garbage after people visit a park.
The Little Grey Cloud
4 characters. Flexible casting. 5 pages in length. Approximately 5 minutes running time. A story about making friends for young children written by Sashi Mendis.
The Hula Hoop Girls: American Capitals
2 characters. 2F; 3 pages in length. Approximately 1-5 minutes running time. A scene for young girls about studying written by David-Matthew Barnes.
Hula Hoop Girls-Sharing Means Caring
2 characters. 3 pages. Approximately 2 minutes long. Two girls learn a lesson about sharing.