In this class learners will collaborate as characters in a story, solving problems together and learning about friendship as they go.  Each week is a unique story that stands on its own, so learners can join at any point.  This curriculum has been designed based on the instructor's experience teaching creative drama and social emotional learning classes for several decades.  Creative play centered on the learners' interests and questions is a powerful vehicle for building social and friendship skills.  

A typical day:
-Greeting our classmates
-A short creative drama game or song to introduce the theme of the day
-Discussion:  what characters might we like to meet/become today?
-Storytime -- Meredith starts us off, and together we build our story based on suggestions from all learners
-Structured creative play with our friends. Many learners enjoy drawing their characters and ideas during this time.
-Closure:  a chance for each learner to share their favorite part of the story we created

Feb. 6, 2024:  Our new castle is floating in the air!
Feb 13, 2024:  A sad dragon
Feb 20, 2024:  Delicious clouds
Feb 27, 2024:  Some strange plants are growing in the castle garden

Fall & Winter 2023 Weekly themes:  
Sept 5 - 8:   Mog the dragon can't find his cave
Sept 12 - 15:  Corinthia the fairy gets a new power
Sept 19 - 22:  Peony the mermaid finds a perfect hiding spot.  Or is it perfect after all?
Sept 25 - -28:  Water, water everywhere!
Oct 2-5: A door in a tree
Oct 9 - 12:  What happens when a dragon joins a parade?
Oct 16 -19: A contest in the land beyond the rainbow
Oct 23 - 26: Who is digging a tunnel outside the castle?
Oct. 30 - Nov. 2: The cow who wanted to be a mermaid
Nov. 6 -9: The valley of sound and the valley of silence

Themes from earlier in 2023:
January 2-6:  Why does this rock have hair??
January 9-13:  Bouncy mountain
January 16 - 20: Corinthia the fairy stands up for herself
January 23 - 27: Adventure in a dragon's cave
January 30 - Feb 3:  The magical banana
Feb 6 - 10:  A toad with wings
Feb 13 - 17:  The magical muffin
Feb 20 - 24: The rulers of the fairy realm are going on vacation
Feb 27 - Mar 3:  The river is overflowing!!
Mar 6-10: The bridge to a castle has disappeared.
Mar 13-17: What happened to the magic in the unicorn's horn?
Mar 20 - 24: Magical rocks & friendly trolls.
March 27 - 31:  The cow who wanted to be a mermaid.
April 3-7: Who has been nibbling the magical flowers?
April 10 - 14 NO CLASS ON MONDAY OR TUESDAY due to the instructor's travel plans.  We will have class on Thursday.
April 17 - 21: The valley of sound and the valley of silence
April 24 - 28:  The mermaids call a meeting.
May 1 -5 The clouds have very strange shapes today!
May 8 - 12:  The Unicorn Obstacle Race
May 15 - 19:  A mysterious crown
May 22 - 25:  Two heads think better than one!
NO CLASS WEEK OF MAY 29 - JUNE 1 due to instructor's travel plans.
June 5 - 8: The Rainbow Berries are Ripe
June 12 - 15: The Dragon who Felt Afraid
June 19 - 22:  A special Pebble 
July 3--6:  A secret passage

2022 Weekly themes:

week of Jan. 2-8: What are all these holes in the ground in the meadow?
week of Jan. 9 -15:  A new constellation has appeared in the sky!
week of Jan. 16-22:  Bluebell the fairy needs some advice.
week of Jan. 23 - 29: A beanstalk is growing up through the clouds.
week of Jan 30 - Feb. 5:  A strange sound is coming from a pile of rocks near the fairy tree.
week of Feb. 6-12: The treasure chest is empty!
week of Feb. 13-20:  Two dragons need our help to settle a dispute.
week of Feb. 21-28:  A boat in the middle of the lagoon
week of Feb. 28 - March 6:  Who (or what) is shaking the blossoms off of the trees?
week of March 7 - 13:  The power of the magic drum.
week of March 14 - 20: A secret passageway through the mountains.
week of March 21-27:  The unicorn who couldn't stop running.
week of March 28 - April 3: The birds who couldn't sing.
week of April 3 - 10:  Don't step in that puddle!
week of April  11 - 17: An egg in a strange place.
week of April 18 - 24: Who is on that flying carpet?[Please note: Thursday classes will not meet this week, as I will be traveling.  Families will not be charged and class will resume for Thursday learners on April 28 or May 5, depending on the section.]
week of April 25 - 30:  Please note: Most classes will not meet this week, as I will be traveling.  Those that do meet will use the theme from the previous week, as they will not have had class that week.
week of May 1-7:  The mystery of the mixed-up colors.
week of May 8 - 14:  A secret door
week of May 15 - 21: Training a baby dragon
week of May 22-28: The search for a quiet place
week of May 30 - June 5:  Mixed-Up Mountain
week of June 6 - 11:  Bubbles, bubbles everywhere
week of June 13 - 18:  These holes look familiar...
week of June 21 - 25:  Mog the Dragon is going on a trip
week of June 27 - July : A dragon is trapped in a cave! [PLEASE NOTE: Monday and Tuesday sections do not meet this week]
week of July 5 -8: Friends on the other side of the mountain need our help! [PLEASE NOTE: Monday sections do not meet this week]
week of July 11 - 15: We must help the mermaids with a big problem in their lagoon [Please note: Thursday sections do not meet this week]
No classes week of July 18 - 22.  Instructor will be traveling.
week of July 25 - 29:  Corinthia the fairy goes on a journey. (PLEASE NOTE: Monday sections do not meet this week)
week of August 1 -5:  There's something strange about that pond...
week of August 8-12:  The Magical Flower
week of August 15 - 19:  The tiny gnome
week of August 22 -26:  The twisty slide
week of August 29 - Sept. 1:  A big change for a little fairy
week of Sept. 5-9:  A treasure chest with a hole in the bottom
week of sept 12 - 16:  Where have all the fairies gone?
week of sept 19 - 23: Why are there suddenly waves in the singing river?
week of Sept. 26 - 30: The rainbow is losing its colors 
week of October 3-7: A new star has appeared in the sky.
week of October 10 - 14: A mysterious door has appeared in the fairy tree.  Should we knock? What, or who, is inside?
week of Oct. 17 - 20: Why are so many dragon gathering together? (No class on Thursday this week)
week of Oct. 24 - 28: Peony looks for a new pet
week of Oct. 31 - Nov. 4: The magical shadow
week of Nov. 7 - 11: An unusual lion
week of Nov. 14 - 18: They are wiggling...they are jiggling...
week of Nov. 21 - 24: Something is under the mushrooms
week of Nov. 28 - Dec. 2:  A special shell
week of Dec. 5 - 8:  The tree that grew very, very quickly
week of Dec. 12- 16:  A light in the the tower of the castle
week of Dec. 19-23: What is that lump under the snow?
No class week of Dec. 26-30

Examples of Past Themes from 2021 (Please feel free to use these ideas as prompts for drawings, stories or creative play with your learner):

 A mysterious gift has appeared at the door of the castle
The bridge to a castle has disappeared 
What happened to the magic in the unicorn's horn?
Why is the singing river so silent?
A fairy with a broken wing
Who has been stealing the dragon's treasure?
Magical rocks & friendly trolls.
Somebody (or something) has been nibbling on the green part of the rainbow!
What happens when you look in Mirror Lake?
Where did this magical egg come from?
Brrr -- it's suddenly very cold in the land under the rainbow.
Where have all the mermaids gone?
Floating lights on the water.


PS:  If your learner has enjoyed this class and is interested in moving to "level 2," I have created that as a "next class" offering with different weekly themes.  Feel free to message me if you would like to know more.