Why do it?

Why do it? — He aha e mahi ai?

Dressing up and role-play is a great way to:

•   pretend to be someone else, which helps tamariki learn to understand another person’s perspective

•   have fun telling and retelling stories, which can help tamariki to work through issues that may be troubling them

•   help tamariki make good use of their imagination and learn about other people in the world around them.

How to do it

How to do it — Te tikanga mō tēnei mahi

•    Have a selection of hats, scarves, bags, pieces of material and other assorted clothing that tamariki can choose from.

•    Ask tamariki who they are being and what else they need for their role.

•    Act out familiar stories or events, such as legends about people like Māui, tales such as ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’, or more modern stories with heroes like Superman.

•    Encourage them to think creatively. Ask them what they could use to ‘invent’ props to add to their play — for example, Māui’s waka or the Batmobile.

•    You can make animal ‘ears’ using cardboard or paper. Tape the ears to a headband or make a circle of cardboard and staple the ears on.

•    Make tails with pieces of fabric, or a leg cut from an old pair of pantyhose and stuffed with scraps of material. Tuck it into the back of their pants or tie it to a piece of elastic that fits around their waist.

•    Consider putting on a show for whānau. See the ‘Putting on a show’ activity.

Using more reo Māori