Children’s theater and its role in the upbringing and development of children

medium that educators have used to benefit the child’s mind and imagination by using theater as a means to convey scientific information, ideal values, general knowledge, and behavioral refinement through the art of simulation and embodiment. Through various attempts, educators have brought theater into school curricula. Theater, throughout history, has started as an educational tool.

Children’s theater is a fundamental pillar in modern education as it develops scientific, educational, moral, and social concepts in children. It stimulates artistic talents and aesthetic values in children. It is a means of indirect learning and a complementary educational activity to books and other activities in school. Children’s theater has a noble educational mission and perhaps has more ability to convey than written books. Children are naturally attracted to theater as it is a type of imaginative play.

Additionally, children’s theater achieves emotional balance, stimulates mental and cognitive aspects, integrates the child into their society’s culture, and trains children for life. It achieves positive training filled with lessons and ethical judgments.

Play is an energy that encompasses the entire world. It is everything that a child does throughout their day except for sleeping. It is the child’s way of perceiving the surrounding world, understanding themselves and their growing abilities. It is a motivating tool for growth that includes all cognitive, sensory, motor, social, linguistic, cognitive, emotional, and even innovative skills. It is also a space for emotional release. Therefore, play is considered the essential form of communication for children. It is an instinctive experience derived from life that occurs within a temporal and spatial framework. It is neither the child’s internal place nor the external place, but rather it exists between them [2].

Play is also defined as the activity in which children explore and discover sounds, colors, shapes, sizes, and the entire world around them. Children demonstrate their growing abilities to imagine, listen, observe, and use tools and materials extensively. All of this is done to express their ideas and communicate with their emotions. Play is the first motivation for artistic expression in children. Both play and art are spontaneous activities that arise from the child to satisfy their needs. The benefits of play include directing their energy, engaging them, stimulating their senses, imagination, and thoughts. Children enjoy expressing themselves through art, expressing their different feelings and ideas through spoken language, visual arts, or other means. Artistic expression also helps children release excess emotional tension. There are other im-

ДЕТСКИЙ ТЕАТР И ЕГО РОЛЬ В ВОСПИТАНИИ И РАЗВИТИИ ДЕТЕЙ portant motivations for artistic expression in children.

Children like experimenting with the environment and discovering new things. Artistic expression provides a field for such experimentation, providing sensory and motor satisfaction.

One of the most important things that art adds to the child’s mind is the ability to acquire freedom of thought and freedom of expression, which makes their mind open to new ideas, different experiences, and a desire for exploration and experimentation. All of this contributes to creating a creative mental orientation in them and to being a “suitable means for developing creative behavior in children, activating the cognitive and cognitive aspect, achieving emotional balance, as well as satisfying aesthetic motives and stimulating the connection with the culture of society and dealing with its political and economic values. Working through a collaborative team, the child benefits greatly from theater.

It has been said that children’s theater is one of the most important innovations of the twentieth century. Many countries in the world have discovered the importance of this educational and learning institution in developing and building the child’s personality within a framework that is more attractive and enjoyable. The impact of the theatrical performance is not equal to the impact of any other artistic or educational institution in the souls of children. What the child learns and what knowledge is available to him is associated with pleasure during the theatrical experience. It will lose effectiveness if it isn’t met with the same enthusiasm in the classroom.

Children surrender themselves, their feelings, their imagination, and all their interests to what is presented to them on stage. TTerefore, many messages or cognitive values can be sent to children. Modern criticism is interested in searching for the overall effect left by the theatrical performance on the souls, feelings, imagina- tion, and behavior of children. TTis invites us to stop a lot at some of the elements that contribute to giving a positive effect to children, whether in the field of enjoying theater or in the field of influencing the behavior and attitudes of children. In this extended stage from twelve to sixteen, which is the age of romance, children prefer in the theatrical work that the plot be mixed with emotions because children are highly sensitive in receiving emotional content in the play. It is necessary to control the emotions presented in the play because they tend to distract the child’s perception and disturb his understanding of the goal of the play. Therefore, it is important to emphasize ideal values. Good plays evoke many emotions such as admiration, fear, and compassion. If these emotions are aroused in a sound manner, they develop in the child good feelings and sound perception. However, if children’s emotions are aroused in an unsound or vulgar manner, this causes them great and destructive harm, such as making children’s natural behavior a source of ridicule or contempt. But it is not enough for the child to be exposed to direct and rapid influence or just a temporary emotional reaction. Rather,this emotional influence should lead the child to think, compare, ask questions, and take positions.

In this way, the playwright has been able to reach the heart and mind of the child, and to satisfy his desire for knowledge and research, with the text carrying diverse experiences, rich information, and behavioral methods. It also urges them to ask questions and express boldly and freely what is boiling in their souls and revolving in their minds through knowledge and searching for information. And it leads them to perceive the world around them. And it is certain that one of the strongest types of benefit from children’s experience of theater is when the child participates in events playing a role on stage and acquires skills that are rarely available in any other field. In this context, it is enough to recognize many great lead- ers and prominent successful people who have stood on the stage in years.

In their first play, which gives them courage, bravery, initiative, confrontation, mental focus, and motor coordination during the confrontation, the ability to take responsibility, and good behavior in difficult situations, self-control and emotions, and many other skills that are necessary for building a person’s personality in any time and place. With human development putting humans constantly in the face of challenges, none of us can live in isolation or shield our children from the rapid development happening around them. This emphasizes the need to provide children with these experiences by allowing them to experience theater in educational and rehabilitation institutions such as schools or universities [3].

The theater’s compositional and participatory nature at the level of the performance between students and teachers, students with each other, and the direct interaction between performers and recipients makes it one of the most successful educational tools for achieving direct experience for both performers and recipients. The educational process has evolved from being about filling students’ minds with information to acquiring experiences that individuals can use to better interact with their lives.

The theater here is used as an “educational tool for explaining and simplifying lessons and embodying them... The theater is a method of education and a means of clarification.” This means that the main issue in children’s theater is how to employ drama as a teaching tool to help build children’s skills and enhance their understanding. Educators, parents, and those involved in children’s issues should participate in formulating the content of the play in a dramatic form. TTey should be specialists who have expertise in dealing with children, familiar with appropriate language and educational content, and take into account the nature and characteristics of children. Children should feel a sense of involvement in the dramatic work they participate in and prepare to perform the dramatic characters in the play. All of this increases children’s inclination towards learning academic subjects.

In the field of modern education, the importance of innovative drama that involves children themselves is highlighted. It relies on interactive and participatory methods between performers and recipients. It aims, through group work and their interaction, to develop freedom of expression through the body, emotions, linguistic skills, and behavioral skills. It increases self-confidence, self-awareness, and self-understanding. It unleashes the hidden creativity in each individual and provides them with happiness. Therefore, it is suitable to be a comprehensive educational method or to be utilized in all aspects of children’s education, including guidance, education, and psychological therapy.

Innovative drama relies on a group of children with a leader who acts as a guide and assistant to stimulate their ideas and imagination and help them come up with new ideas that stem from themselves or from the topic presented through innovative drama. The place where it is performed is not specified and can be a classroom, a large hall, or outdoors, such as a garden or beach, at any time during or after school hours. Innovative drama is an idea that the trainer, leader, or teacher tries to extract from the children or presents to them. Ten, everyone starts creating situations, characters, and dialogues within the framework of this idea.

In an impromptu manner as a result of discussion and dialogue, the conversation then develops into movement, and the event can be transformed into a theatrical text. All of this is done within the framework of play as a beneficial entertainment, and considering theater as a game. Terefore, leisure time or parallel activities should be directed towards play, in order to engage in various creative works that children can unleash through their talents and inclina- tions. Tis is an opportunity to create artistic educational workshops to refine and develop these talents. Te logic of play - including children’s play - with its rules and traditions reflects the reality of society as a “true social mirror.” Play is one of the educational activities that deserves our utmost attention, like other activities carried out by educational institutions. Play is not only distinguished by its theoretical philosophical dimension, but it is also the subject of education and one of its elements that schools as educational institutions are concerned with. It is an effective means of improving the quality of education and enhancing the learning process. Innovative drama is used in schools, universities, and various educational institutions, and it has several important benefits, including:

• 1.    Improving communication and social interaction skills: Innovative drama involves interaction among participants and teamwork, which helps improve their communication and social interaction skills.

• 2.    Enhancing creative and critical thinking abilities: Innovative drama stimulates participants to think differently and express their ideas and opinions freely and creatively, enhancing their creative abilities.

• 3.    Improving language and expression skills: Innovative drama enhances participants’ language and expression skills, helping them learn language and improve their speaking and writing skills.

• 4.    Boosting self-confidence: Innovative drama improves participants’ self-confidence, enabling them to express themselves confidently and boldly, encouraging them to experience new and unconventional things.

• 5.    Enhancing problem-solving skills: Innovative drama improves participants’ problem-solving skills, helping them think creatively and find new and innovative solutions to problems.

• 6.    Promoting positive interaction and cooperation: Innovative drama encourages participants to have positive interaction and cooperation, pro-

• moting teamwork and interaction among them.

In addition to these benefits, innovative drama helps alleviate boredom and routine in the educational process, motivating participants to actively engage in the learning process and enhancing their interaction with study materials. Innovative drama can be used in teaching various subjects, such as language, literature, history, science, mathematics, and others, by employing innovative drama techniques to stimulate students to interact, participate, and learn in a creative and enjoyable manner [4].

We should help the child be self-sufficiency and self-reliance in the process of play and learning. We find in many societies that young children do not have enough initiative, and the people around them always tell them what to do. Since they are always surrounded by people, they are deprived of the initiative to discover themselves, or what they can be and what they can do on their own. Terefore, we should not disturb the child who is playing alone quietly, as he is not only playing but also developing his skills. T is is what allows the child to create and unleash his creativity while expressing his inclinations and desires.

Therefore, in order to establish a solid theatrical tradition and a serious and effective theatrical culture that encourages children to express themselves and their creative abilities, we must start with the child from school and begin with play.

Children’s theater focuses on developing the child’s personal and creative abilities. It is widely recognized that modern day children have higher intelligence due to the huge scientific advancements in all fields. Terefore, when presenting a theatrical performance, it is necessary to deal with it deeply and seriously because this generation of children has a high ability to interpret what they see. It is essential to stimulate their minds to think, discover, and draw conclusions, while avoiding fairy tales that may not be beneficial in their fu-

ДЕТСКИЙ ТЕАТР И ЕГО РОЛЬ В ВОСПИТАНИИ И РАЗВИТИИ ДЕТЕЙ ture lives. Children’s theater provides an opportunity for young people to search for solutions alongside actors and events. This is the mature state of theatrical work. It is important to provide a text that answers all questions but also includes a number of challenges away from ready-made solutions. Tris encourages the child to use his mind and imagination. In this way, children’s theater goes beyond the visual, physical, and musical performance to have a lasting impact on the young audience. It should not end once the performance is over, instead, it should continue in the streets and schools. TTis is exactly what creates a real theater audience, not just passive recipients.

The role of children’s theater relies on coordinating efforts and collaborating with all members of society, parents, teachers, specialists, and all those involved in the upbringing of children to ensure the protection of their rights and protect them from forms of violence they may encounter. This can be achieved through the presentation of serious theatrical performances that teach them how to interact with others and encourage them to report any abuse or violence they may experience from others.

Many theater professionals specializing in children’s theater have begun to pay attention to psychological theories and studies and apply their results in developing the final format of school performances. They have dealt with the characteristics of each age stage of a child’s life separately to meet their needs and provide an integrated and successful educational process.

Children’s theater should go beyond visual, physical, and musical performances to have a lasting impact on the audience. It should continue beyond the performance itself, reaching into the streets and schools. This creates an active theater audience rather than passive recipients.

Tre role of children’s theater relies on coordination and collaboration with all members of society, including parents, teachers, specialists, and those involved in the upbringing of children. It is important to protect children’s rights and protect them from any forms of violence they may encounter. Serious theatrical performances can teach children how to interact with others and encourage them to report any abuse or violence they may experience.

Many theater professionals specializing in children’s theater have started incorporating psychological theories and studies into the development of school performances. They consider the characteristics of each age stage separately to meet the needs of children and provide an integrated educational process [5].

Stage 1: Children aged 6–8 years old have wild imaginations and a thirst for knowledge about new things. They are interested in fairy tales, fantasies, mysteries, ghosts, and legends. The theater practitioner should take advantage of this inclination by presenting noble social values through these themes. Even if the topics go beyond fantasy and touch on historical subjects, it is important to maintain clarity, simplicity, direct language, and avoid complexity.

Stage 2: Children aged 9–12 years old are fascinated by adventures that showcase bravery and heroism. They seek knowledge about scientific phenomena and enjoy stories where the hero defends religious, ethical, and national values. The child can fully engage and interact with these stories, allowing the desired values to reach their mind and understanding. Theater practitioners should consider the developmental stages of children aged 6-12 years old to achieve educational goals, especially in developing basic skills and encouraging diverse thinking.

Stage 3: Children aged 12–17 years old seek idealistic stories mixed with emotions and sacrifices. They are interested in emotional stories, tales of sacrifice, and learning about historical figures. It is important for theater practitioners to understand the importance of each stage when selecting texts and theatrical works that suit the nature of each stage and achieve the desired goals.

Children’s theater has several benefits in child development:

Cognitive benefits:

Children’s theater plays a crucial role in developing higher cognitive functions such as intelligence, perception, and memory. The situations presented in theatrical performances require children to employ their intelligence to successfully portray their roles according to the directions and guidelines given by their mentors and the requirements of the theatrical script. Treater can also enhance a child’s ability to imagine and use their creativity, especially when the play involves mythical and legendary characters that inspire them to imitate gestures, movements, and words to embody these fictional characters.

Psychological benefits:

Treater has a tremendous ability to address various psychological disorders that some children may experience. Tre situations in which a child finds themselves in a theatrical performance can boost their self-confidence through successful performances. It can also help them overcome language problems by correcting words, sentences, and pronunciation. Additionally, theater encourages initiative, creativity, and courage instead of fear and hesitation.

Social benefits:

Treater helps children integrate into society by getting them accustomed to playing collective roles and collaborating and coordinating with other characters in the play. Tris fosters positive social relationships based on understanding, consultation, and solidarity.

In general, children’s theater plays a significant role in the upbringing of children by developing their cognitive abilities, fostering their imagination and creativity, addressing psychological disorders, and promoting positive social relationships.

Tre sensory benefits:

Children’s theater helps develop their senses to a greater extent and at a faster rate. Tre child does everything possible to be attentive and focused during the theatrical performance, which stimulates their senses, especially sight and hearing. They can communicate and interact with the characters and the audience through these senses.

Tie child’s auditory memory develops better and more accurately over time. Tey are obliged to listen and pay attention to what the characters say in order to intervene and respond accordingly. Tey also need to imitate movements and gestures accurately, which requires visual memory.

Te motor benefits:

Teater contributes to the development of children’s motor skills through the roles and characters they portray. If a child is playing the role of a specific animal, they have to im- itate the movements and behaviors of that animal, whether it involves walking on all fours, jumping, running, etc. All these motor behaviors help the child have good control over their body movements and the ability to monitor them. It also contributes to the development of various motor positions, starting from general movement to limb movements.