The Preschooler

Pantomime

It may not seem like it at first, but pantomime can be a very effective form of communication.  If you have ever watched any of the performances done by Marcel Marceau or Charlie Chaplin, you will know that people use a lot more than just words to communicate with each other.  According to Wikipedia, some researchers suggest that people communicate with each other using non-verbal cues as much as 80% of the time. So when you are teaching your child communication skills, it only makes sense to include some form of non-verbal communication practice.

There are many ways you can pantomime with your child.  A simple game of charades would certainly fit the bill.  You could also try acting out a favorite fairy tale or other story using only a few props and, of course, no words.  Goldilocks and the Three Bears lends itself nicely to this activity.

Before acting out a story, have your child practice making faces to represent different emotions.  Ask your child, “What does a person look like when he is sad?”  Once your child has put on such a face, show her your own version of the emotion so that she can see what it looks like on someone else.  This is also a lot of fun for children to do in front of a mirror.

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Written by BRWI Staff on August 24, 2011