Home›Lesson Plans›The Arts›Theater · Kindergarten

Using My Imagination

Kindergartners use their imagination to pretend to be all kinds of things — a lion, a tree, a robot, a bird, a snowman — the joyful heart of acting and drama.

KindergartenImagination25 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Use my imagination.
  • ✓Pretend to be things.
  • ✓Use my body.
  • ✓Have fun acting.
Essential Question

In pretend play, you can be ANYTHING — a roaring lion or a tall tree! How do you use your imagination to pretend?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Imagination Explorer

Project this and tap each idea. Have children use their imagination to pretend to be things.

🎭 Explore your imagination — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Artistic Process (Warm-Up · Explore · Rehearse · Perform · Reflect)

25 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Be Anything!

3 min

In pretend play you can be a lion or a tree — how?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pretend to be something.
  • Ask what they saw.
  • Warm up bodies.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Guess.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Imagination

7 min

Children explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to the Imagination Explorer.
  • Pretend each one.
  • Use your body.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Pretend.
  • Move.
3

Rehearse — Rehearse

7 min

Children rehearse.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Be a lion.
  • Be a tree.
  • Pick your own thing.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Roar!
  • Sway.
  • Pick it.
4

Perform — Perform

5 min

Children perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pretend for others to guess.
  • Show it big.
  • Be kind.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Show it.
  • Big!
  • Be kind.
5

Reflect — Reflect

3 min

Children respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name something you pretended.
  • Show it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Show it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Theatre).

NCAS
TH:Cr1.1.K

Use imagination in pretend play.

NCAS
TH:Pr5.1.K

Use the body to pretend.

NCAS
TH:Cr2.1.K

Explore dramatic play.

NCAS
TH:Re7.1.K

Notice pretend actions.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Pretend picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “I can be a ___.”
  • Model pretending.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with lion and bird.
  • Pretend one thing.
  • Be big and clear.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Pretend a whole scene.
  • Add a sound.
  • Pretend a feeling.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🎭A pretend stage
  • 💻The Imagination Explorer
  • 🦁Pretend cards
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

imaginationpretending in your mindpretendto act like somethingactto be a characterdramapretend playbodyall of youliona big cat you can berobota stiff machinefunsomething you enjoy
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What can you use your imagination to be?
Anything — a lion, a tree, a robot, a bird, or a snowman!
QUESTION 2
How do you pretend to be a lion?
Roar and stomp your paws!
QUESTION 3
How do you pretend to be a robot?
Move stiff and say “beep boop”!

Reflect: pretend it.

Have children pretend to be their favorite animal for a family member to guess. A printable imagination sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Using My ImaginationFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Using My ImaginationQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Using My ImaginationPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: act, body, drama, fun, imagination, lion, pretend, robot
  1. to be a character
  2. pretending in your mind
  3. a stiff machine
  4. something you enjoy
  5. to act like something
  6. all of you
  7. a big cat you can be
  8. pretend play

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What can you use your imagination to be?
  2. How do you pretend to be a lion?
  3. How do you pretend to be a robot?
Answer key — Part A: 1) act · 2) imagination · 3) robot · 4) fun · 5) pretend · 6) body · 7) lion · 8) drama
Part B: 1) Anything — a lion, a tree, a robot, a bird, or a snowman! 2) Roar and stomp your paws! 3) Move stiff and say “beep boop”!