Drama for children: Time to grow

Narrate the story, out of sight if preferred, while one child (with others joining in later) or groups of children, mime the life of the seed as it is planted, grows, fades and returns to seed. Actions to mime are in italics. Alternatively, a sequence of suitable images could be shown on a screen to accompany the words.

Seed:

I am stored in a bag. (curl up in a ball)

I am safe.

Inside my shell I stay, I rest and wait.

I sleep a long, deep, sleep. (mime sleeping)

The bag is opened, a glimmer of light breaks in. (wake up)

I am scattered onto fine, rich soil (stand up, stretch arms out and turn around)

and covered. (crouch down, put hands on head)

I am in darkness again.

I wait.

I nestle into the soil. (bring hands down, raise head and smile)

I like this darkness.

I like this smell.

It is warm and refreshingly moist.

I breathe and wait, (take deep breaths)

wait and breathe.

I wait for the perfect moment.

Narrator:

Brown turns to green;

hard becomes soft;

dry changes to wet;

it is time to grow.

Seed:

I wriggle out of my shell. (wriggle)

I feel the soft soil around me. (look around)

I sense the light above. (look up)

I push up to the surface. (begin to grow slowly)

I break through. (push up with arms)

I stretch up. (stretch up)

I stretch out. (stand up tall)

I unfurl and spread my leaves. (stretch arms out)

I bathe in the light, (look up)

I sway in the breeze, (sway from side to side)

I soak up the moisture. (stretch out palms)

I am growing. (smile broadly)

I am alive! (strong arms)

Narrator:

Spring turns to summer;

seed turns to plant;

buds turn to flower;

green turns to yellow.

Seed:

I grow and grow and grow some more. (stretch upwards on tip toes)

I am strong, I am tall (strong arms)

I have yellow petals around my face. (make a circle around the face with hands)

I am beautiful. (cup face and smile broadly)

I smile at the world around me. (smile at everyone)

I stand in a field with thousands of others. (others join in)

We stand tall against the wind. (stand straight and tall)

Our leaves are scorched by the sun. (shake hands as if shaking off water)

The rain soothes our roots. (wiggle legs)

The birds chirp as they fly by. (look up at birds and wave)

We grow until we can grow no more. (hands on hips and nod)

Narrator:

Days start to shorten;

night starts to grow;

warmth fades away;

flowers turn to seed.

Seed:

I stop growing. (stand very still)

I begin to fade. (start to slump)

I am weary. (let head droop)

I put all my energy into my seeds:

hundreds of them;

waiting to be gathered,

waiting to be planted,

waiting to grow into new life.

Narrator:

Green turns to brown;

soft becomes crisp;

seeds are gathered;

darkness closes in.

Seed:

I nestle into the soil. (sink down)

It is time to sleep (kneel back on knees)

My cycle is complete (fold arms, look tired and smile)

I smile and sleep a long, deep, sleep. (smile with satisfaction and mime sleeping)

Karen Morrison is a freelance writer who until recently was Head of Children and Youth Work at the URC.