Alice’s Garden

AN Interactive Theatre Experience for Infants ages 0-3

By Alyssa Landroche and Elizabeth Bohannon

What is Theatre for the Very Young?
● Emerging type of theatre
○ Developed mostly in European
countries
● Multi-sensory, interactive, theatre
experience
● Ages 0-5
● Encourage childhood growth
● Creative opportunities
Why TVY?
● Share the love!
● Accessibility to the arts

“Imaginative play and creative activities [allow]

very young children to stretch their capabilities
and learn to further their understanding of the
world”

~ L.S. Vygotsky
Research Question

PART 1: What are the components of

developing and producing an original play
for very young audiences?

PART 2: What was the reception of the

play towards the “gatekeepers” of TVY?
Significance
● Theatre is about understanding the world.
Why limit understanding to just the “adult
world”?
● Can contribute to helping child
development
● Promotes live interaction over screen time
● Children can explore the world through:
○ Sight
○ Sound
○ Touch
○ Scent
Methodology
● Researched current practices in TVY
● Discussed with professionals in the field
● Wrote and revised a script
● Designed and built the props, puppets and
scenery
● Rehearse the show
● Revise areas that need improvement
● Perform the show
● Survey parents of children to get feedback
about performance.
Findings
● Currently in rehearsal process
○ Have found babies are easily
over stimulated
○ They have a desire to
participate
○ Much of the performance is
improvised based on the
children’s reactions
○ Still in development
Conclusion
● Theatre is about understanding the
world. Why limit understanding to
just the “adult world”?
● Theatre for the Very Young
provides creative learning for
infants and therefore should be
given more attention in the arts.
● Look forward to learning more!
Sources
Hill, D. 2016. Why to Avoid TV for Infants & Toddlers. Retrived from
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/Why-to-Avoid-
TV-Before-Age-2.aspx

Kingsley, L. 2013. Filled with Wonder: 5 Attributes of Quality Theatre for the Very
Young. Retrived from https://blog.americansforthearts.org/2013/03/19/filled-
with-wonder-5-attributes-of-quality-theatre-for-the-very-young#comments

Vygotsky. L. 1978. Mind in Society. Harvard University Press.