Learning Through Entertainment: An Advantage to Children's Theatre (A Focus on Scribbles)

The cradle ofChildren's Theatre can be traced to storytelling art of the early men. In Africa, this form of theatre also featured in diverse cultural ceremonies and celebrations. Entertainment in form of stories were re-enacted for children to instil moral, cultural, history, virtues, values and prevailing norms ofthe society. This was a good medium tofully integrate and incorporate children to the societies as responsible adults later on. At this point in time, little or no attention was paid the concept of children's theatre neither were its features and benefits extolled. However, with the advent of civilisation which education was a rider, new insights emerged on the importance of children's teaching and learning through various means and modes, one ofwhich is Children's Theatre. On a larger scale, Children theatre is targeted at improving children's interest to learn with ease. It is on this background that this paper emerges, to review the entertaining aspect of children's theatre to foster children's learning. To achieve this, a study of Scribbles, an educational children based entertainment organisation, is used as basis for exposition. An episode of Scribbles istherefore the yardstick for measuring the role of entertainment as an element in children's theatre for children's learning. This study will be a guide to child educators in the presentation and execution oflessons in classrooms as well as projecting the importance of children's theatre and its attendant elements in teaching young children.

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