Try these ideas to keep busy . Even when your electricity is out because of a storm, many of the following listed activities can be attempted.
Presentations were once a mainstay as families and party-goers had no television, or movie players to entertain – no video games or stereos. Groups had programs, shows, and presentations to entertain themselves. Why not work together and put on a show?
A Musical Revue
Choose songs to sing as solos, duets, and group songs. Assign parts and learn the songs. Make up programs to pass out listing the songs to be performed and the names of the singers. Include any instrumental pieces you can work up. Set a date and time for the show and invite family or any available guests to come and listen to your musical show. The practices and preparations for the show are much of the fun and you can spend days even weeks, preparing the program.
Acting – A Play
Choose or write a short play which requires few props and costumes. Prepare the stage for your drama. Hang a bed sheet across a doorway and assign parts to be learned. Practice the play with one of you directing. An announcer should be chosen to introduce the play and the characters and then to present them for the audience to applaud at the end of the play. Perform the play for an audience of family members. The musical and play acting can be combined to form a musical performance.
Art Show
Plan an art show. Decide on guidelines for entries – rules for art styles to be accepted and for sizes to be eligible. Work on sculptures of clay, paintings with oil, acrylic or poster paints, drawings with pencil or charcoal or pastels, and even coloring and marker work. Have each piece of artwork labeled with a title and the medium, as well as the artist’s name. Prepare a room or two where the artwork can be displayed. Send out formal invitations to the art showing. Greet guests at the door and allow them to tour the show rooms. Serve simple, but elegant refreshments after the show.
Puppet Show
Use a large box or an old sheet to make a puppet stage. You will need room to get down behind the stage and hold your puppets up where the audience can see them. Choose a puppet show from a storybook or make up your own acts. Make your puppets out of cloth, old mittens, and big socks. Add eyes, mouths, ears, noses, and hair to make up your puppet character’s unique look.
Practice the puppet play and then set a date and time for the show. Invite neighborhood children, your parents, grandparents, and friends to come watch the show. Set chairs in rows for the audience so that everyone gets a good view and can hear all the words. Serve popcorn for a snack during the show.
Recitations and Readings
Choose favorite poetry and segments of stories, essays or famous speeches. Assign one or more to each person. Their part will be to read the piece out loud until they have either memorized or can read it well without faltering. Remember that readings were considered dramatic or interpretive readings. They should be performed with flair and variety of voice.
For the show, make up a program with each piece’s title written in the order to be performed and give the names of each of the readers and recitors. Invite guests to come and see the show. Choose a place in the room to be the “platform” where the performers will stand to read or recite their pieces. Seat guests and have one person announce each person and his piece’s title before he stands up front to perform.
Shows can be fun for children to pass time inside and enjoy an otherwise boring day. Even a single child can do a music, art, puppet show, or reading and recitations for his family and friends. Preparing, practicing, making invitations and then programs and then hosting the actual show makes this type of entertainment last.
