These social-emotional learning plays are listed in order of cast size. The SEL themes addressed in each play are listed in the descriptions.

The Condor Egg

The Condor Egg
2 characters. 6 pages. An imaginative teenager dreams of doing something unusual for the school art show.

Themes: Perseverance, Courage.

Royalty-free Play Script for Schools-An Imaginary Friend

An Imaginary Friend
2 characters. 2M. 7 pages. A short play about an imaginary friendship by Martha Patterson.

Themes: Gratitude, Empathy.

The Gift of the Magi

The Gift of the Magi
2 characters, flexible casting. 6 pages. Modern re-telling of the classic story by O’Henry. Siblings learn about the spirit of giving. Adapted by Jennifer Reif.

Themes: Kindness.

Shuttlecock, Whipping Top and Tick Tack Type

Shuttlecock, Whipping Top and Tick Tack Type
A play for two actors that incorporates rhythm, music and movement. Actors take on the roles of toys. Approximately 50 minutes long. Includes educational materials, drama activities, and sheet music.

Themes: Respect, Empathy, Cooperation, Responsibility, Perseverance, Courage, Gratitude, Creativity.

Royalty-free Play Script for Schools-Have A Hoppy Holiday

Have A Hoppy Holiday
2 characters. 3 pages. A comedy for children about the loss of a pet by playwright Scot Walker.

Themes: Respect, Empathy, Cooperation, Gratitude, Honesty, Creativity, Responsibility, Perseverance, Courage.

The Spotted Skink

The Spotted Skink
3+ Characters, Flexible Casting. Approximately 10 minutes running time. Clever and witty script about two young people trying to save their town by claiming they’ve discovered an endangered species. Will they go to any length to convince people?

Themes: Perseverance, Honesty.

A-Golden-Peace-of-Mind

A Golden Peace of Mind
4 characters, 1M, 1F, 2 any gender. Approximately 7 minutes running time. Short play that teaches the value of believing in yourself!

Themes: Believing in Yourself, Courage, Perseverance.

DN Share the Burden

Share the Burden
4 characters, flexible casting. Approximately 10 minutes running time. Short play based on an African trickster tale by Debra A. Cole.

Themes: Cooperation, Perseverance, Integrity.

Royalty-free Play Script for Schools-Mama Threw Me So High

Mama Threw Me So High
4 characters; 3F, 1M; 17 pages in length. Approximately 15-20 minutes running time. A drama for teens written by Starry Krueger.

Themes: Responsibility, Perseverance, Courage.

Lab-Report

Lab Report
4 characters. Flexible casting. 10 pages in length. Approximately 10 minutes running time. A short play for teens about therapy written by Louise Scoville.

Themes: Empathy, Courage, Honesty.

The Adventures of Don Marcos Sebastian Guevara Fantastico

The Adventures of Don Marcos Sebastian Guevara Fantastico
4 Characters. Approximately 30 minutes running time. An unlikely pair teams up to defeat the school bullies in this playful script. Perfect for elementary, middle school, or school assemblies.

Themes: Kindness, Respect, Empathy, Cooperation, Perseverance, Courage, Honesty, Creativity.

Benchmark

Benchmark
4 characters, all males. Approximately 10 minutes. A funny yet sentimental script about true friendship. Perfect for middle school and high school students.

Themes: Kindness, Empathy.

Canine Connection

Canine Connection
4 characters, (3 speaking, 1 non-speaking) Gender flexible. All characters are dogs. Approximately 8 minutes running time. Hilarious play where dogs run a radio call-in show. Perfect for middle and high school.

Themes: Conflict Resolution.

Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis
5 characters, all female. Approximately 10 minutes running time. Short play for teens about being yourself rather than trying to conform! Great play for students to get creative with costuming.

Themes: Creativity, Being Yourself, Courage.

The-Honorable-Woodsman

The Honorable Woodsman
5 characters, 1M, 2F, 2 any gender. Approximately 10 minutes running time. Play adaptation of a Jean La Fontaine fable.

Themes: Honesty, Integrity.

Honestly

Honesty
5 characters, flexible casting. Approximately 10 minutes running time. Short, modern play by Debra A. Cole based on a West African folk tale.

Themes: Honesty.

A Simple Act of Kindness

A Simple Act of Kindness
5 characters, flexible casting. Approximately 10 minutes long. It’s Christmas Eve and an innkeeper is reminded that money isn’t everything.

Themes: Kindness.

The Trees of Throop

The Trees of Throop
5 characters. Approximately 10 minutes running time. Original holiday story with colorful characters and a message of kindness. Nostalgic and quirky. Written by Ted LoRusso.

Themes: Kindness.

red shoes

Red Shoes
5 characters. 4F, 1M. Approximately 10 minutes running time. Short play about a girl who finds herself in an unfortunate situation, yet finds her strength to overcome adversity.

Themes: Perseverance, Courage.

gold-gone

Gold Gone
5 characters. 5 pages long. Royalty-free play for elementary and middle school students in which a mean-spirited prince tries to marry five princesses all at once. Perfect for school performances.

Themes: Honesty.

Royalty-free Play Script for Schools-He Who Speaks

He Who Speaks
5 characters; 1F, 1M, 3 Either; 12 pages in length. Approximately 10-15 minutes running time. A drama for children and teens written by Starry Krueger.

Themes: Responsibility, Perseverance, Courage.

The Fisherman and His Wife Royalty-free Play Script for Schools-

The Fisherman and His Wife
5+ characters; Flexible cast. 9 pages in length. Approximately 10 minutes running time. An Brothers Grimm fairy-tale adapted by Janea Dahl.

Themes: Gratitude.

pandamonuim

PANDAmonium
6 characters, 3F, 3M. Approximately 10 minutes running time. Short play by Debra A. Cole that addresses racism and diversity in a non-threatening way.

Themes: Respect, Empathy, Accepting Differences.

Cutting-the-strings

Cutting the Strings
6 characters, flexible gender. Approximately 10 minutes running time. Play adaptation of a Burmese folk tale. Students play life-sized puppets!

Themes: Kindness.

The Big Dance

The Big Dance
6 characters, all female. Approximately 10 minutes running time. Cute play by Debra A. Cole about a group of teenage girls who are attending their first school dance.

Themes: Courage, Kindness, Respect, Empathy.

Bubble-Wrap-Princess

Bubble Wrap Princess
6 characters, flexible casting. Approximately 10 minutes running time. Funny fairy tale play about overprotective parents.

Themes: Courage, Believing in Yourself.

Royalty-free Play Script for Schools-The Pizza Man's Problem

The Pizza Man’s Problem
6 characters, 4 M, 2 F. (Mechanic could be female.) Approximately 7 minutes long. Best for ages 8-11. A funny play about a pizza man who cannot make pizza.

Themes: Perseverance.

Royalty-free Play Script for Schools-THE MAYPOLE, or My Problem with Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Maypole
6+ characters. Flexible cast. 5 pages in length. Approximately 5 minutes running time. A rapping comedy for teens written by Germaine Shames.

Themes: Cooperation, Conflict Resolution, Kindness.

The Clearing

The Clearing
6-20 characters, flexible casting. Approximately 30 minutes long. 10 vignettes are set in a clearing in the woods and woven together with wit, wonder, and wisdom. Written by Jennifer Reif. (5 credits)

Themes: Cooperation, Perseverance, Empathy, Honesty, Courage, Gratitude.

The Crossroads

The Crossroads
6-21 characters, flexible casting, approximately 30 minutes. 11 vignettes set at a crossroads in the woods, woven together with wit, wonder, and wisdom. Written by Jennifer Reif. (5 credits)

Themes: Cooperation, Perseverance, Empathy, Honesty, Courage, Gratitude.

Royalty-free Play Script for Schools-The Lemunion Tree

The Lemunion Tree
7+ characters; Flexible cast. 12 pages in length. Approximately 10-15 minutes running time. A drama for children ages 10 and older written by Cynthia Morrison.

Themes: Integrity.

Breathe

Breathe
8 characters, 1M, 1F, 6 flexible gender. Approximately 10 minutes running time.

Themes: Coping with Anxiety, Empathy.

Ghosting for Good

Ghosting for Good
8 Characters, flexible casting. Approximately 10 minutes long. Short, black box play about two teens dealing with the cruelty of online bullying.

Themes: Kindness, Empathy, Honesty.

Canary, Cockroach, Phoenix

Canary, Cockroach, Phoenix
8+ characters; 6F, 1M, 1+ Either; 35 pages in length. Approximately 30-40 minutes running time. A musical drama for children written by Starry Krueger. (5 credits)

Themes: Responsibility, Perseverance, Courage.

Royalty-free Play Script for Schools-Barnyard

Barnyard
9 characters. 40 pages in length. Approximately 30-45 minutes running time. A play for older teens written by Richard Broadhurst. (5 credits)

Themes: Empathy, Kindness.

Last Chance Tuesday

Last Chance Tuesday
9 characters, approximately 25 minutes long. Funny and touching script about friendship. Three kennel dogs dream of their forever homes. Will they be adopted?

Themes: Kindness, Empathy, Cooperation, Courage.

Winnie the Pooh and a Library Too

Winnie the Pooh and a Library Too
9 characters, flexible casting. Approximately 20 minutes long. Winnie the Pooh and his friends help Piglet learn to read. Perfect for elementary and middle school. Focus on SEL (Social-Emotional Learning)

Themes: Courage, Perseverance, Cooperation, Responsibility, Gratitude.

Royalty-free Play Script for Schools-It’s All In Your Head

It’s All In Your Head
One-act play for middle school and high school. 10 characters; 1M, 1F, 8 Either; 14 pages in length. Approximately 10-15 minutes running time. A comedy for teens written by Frannie Dove.

Themes: Courage, Empathy, Perseverance.

Royalty-free Play Script for Schools-Dream Train

Dream Train
One-act play for middle school or high school. 10+ characters; 6F, 3M, 1+ Either; 28 pages in length. Approximately 30-45 minutes running time. A drama for teens written by Starry Krueger.

Themes: Kindness, Respect, Empathy, Cooperation.

Peter Pan and the Lost Girl

Peter Pan and the Lost Girl
10+ characters, flexible casting. Approximately 15 minutes long. Peter Pan meets Little Red Riding Hood in this short play by Willow Rowe. Fun for all ages.

Themes: Perseverance.

Greek play script for kids and teens-The Myth of Demeter and Persephone Revisited

The Myth of Demeter and Persephone Revisited
10-14 characters, flexible casting, approximately 10 minutes long. Comedy play script for elementary, middle, and high school about the Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone.

Themes: Respect, Empathy.

Middle School Brain

Middle School Brain
13 characters, flexible casting. Approximately 10 minutes running time. One teen character is split into many aspects of her personality in this entertaining short play by Debra A. Cole.

Themes: Empathy, Courage, Honesty.

The Little Prince In Egypt

The Little Prince in Egypt
13 characters, flexible casting, approximately 15 minutes. Comedy script set about Egyptian mythology. Perfect for older elementary through high school.

Themes: Creativity, Perseverance, Courage.

The Shadow of Peter Pan

The Shadow of Peter Pan
14 characters, flexible casting, approximately 15 minutes. Comedy script about Peter Pan’s “Shadow” breaking free to live an independent existence. Perfect for middle and high school.

Themes: Cooperation and Respect.

Aesop Remixed

Aesop Remixed
15+ characters, flexible casting, approximately 15 minutes. Comedy script that combines Aesop’s fables, “The Lion and the Mouse” and “The Tortoise and the Hare”.

Themes: Kindness, Respect, Courage, Gratitude.

Royalty-free Play Script for Schools-Ahead of the Game

Ahead of the Game
16 characters. 65 pages long. Approximately 60 minutes running time. A play that encourages kindness, positivity, and respect written by Catherine Davis. (10 credits)

Themes: Kindness, Empathy, Respect.

Doc Faustus

Doc Faustus
19 characters. Approximately one-hour running time. Comedic modern adaptation of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe.

Themes: Kindness, Empathy, Respect.

Afroyo

Afroyo
20+ characters. Approximately 45 minutes running time. A young black boy comes face to face with microaggressions at school.

Themes: Kindness, Empathy, Responsibility, Perseverance, Courage.

TJ’s Elephant

TJ’s Elephant
21 Characters. Approximately 30 minutes running time. Cast size and gender breakdown are flexible. In this original play, the elephant in the room is grief. A perfect way for high schoolers to explore a difficult topic with creativity and heart.

Themes: Grief, Collaboration.

Royalty-free Play Script for Schools-Camp Kindness

Camp Kindness
30-45 minutes running time. Parts for 30 actors, flexible cast. Teaches the virtue of kindness! (5 credits)

Themes: Kindness, Empathy.