About Tots Pretend

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As a Drama teacher with 17 years experience, as well as a mother to two children who spend much of their time ‘pretending’, Tots Pretend was a dream I turned into reality in May 2019. As a teacher I have worked across a range of Key Stages in high schools, colleges and also within special needs provisions teaching, not only a subject I am passionate about, but seeing the additional benefits Drama can bring to young people.

EVERY CHILD IS UNIQUE

“Every child is a unique child, who is constantly learning and can be resilient, capable, confident and self-assured”... from the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. I believe in this and nurture these qualities in every session!

CURIOUS IMAGINATION

One of the most amazing things about teaching Drama is when I see a child become curious about the world around them and explore that childlike curiosity using their imagination. I love seeing children become more confident week by week and when a parent tells me that their child has learnt a new word from class, has got better at their numbers because they can’t stop singing one of our songs or that we’ve really helped to capture their imagination for the rest of the day – this is why drama is so amazing! It is a joy to see my Tots Pretenders lost in the world of the role play, growing and developing week by week, their ‘pretend friends’ with them every step of the way.

BENEFITS OF IMAGINARY PLAY

I can see and understand the benefits of imaginary play. Even just playing at home I see my children, not only learning about the world around them through role play, but key skills like negotiation, compromise, empathy, communication and exploring different situations, using what they have around them to build the ‘world’ of their role play. It was my love of drama and my forever pretending children who inspired me to create Tots Pretend, where we build imaginary worlds to explore each week.

PREPARATION FOR BIG SCHOOL

Tots Pretend classes are an excellent preparation for our little ones starting ‘big school’... learning key skills like turn taking, co-operation and concentration, small group activities within a supportive environment give children experience of what it is like to learn together. Developing language and communication skills, learning about the world around them, physical development and numeracy are some of the areas of the early years curriculum we address, so why not give them a head start?!

DEVELOP YOUR CHILD’S KEY SKILLS

Tots Pretend develops key skills, such as empathy, looking after teddy when pretending to be doctor in our hospital or caring for animals in our pretend pet shop, encouraging children to consider what someone else would do. Children develop their motor skills jumping over crocodile infested waters or being on the bumper cars. Each week we become new characters, putting ourselves in other people’s shoes, capturing their imaginations as we explore new ‘surroundings’ in our pretend world.

FUN, FUN, FUN

And to top it all off.... pretend play is lots and lots of fun! When we use our imaginations and explore together, there is no end to the possibilities of where the role play will take us! Explore our photo gallery to see our children in action.