Discuss with the children what or who they might like to be. Have some books and
pictures at hand of characters that they might choose.

• If you could be anyone or anything, who or what would you be?
• Would you like to be a doll, a teddy bear, a queen or perhaps something else?
• What ideas have you got?
• Where did you get your ideas from?
• What does your doll/teddy/queen look like?
• What are they wearing?
• Can you paint a big picture of them on your Tabard?
• Can you find a picture in a book to help you?
  

Before the children paint ask them to close their eyes and get a picture in their head of who or what they would like to be.
Tell them that this will help them with their painting.

• When your Tabard is dry, wear it and become someone or something else.
  Does it make you feel like your character? Tell everyone who you are
  and where you live.
• How do you move?
• What are you wearing? Why?
• What sort of things do you do?
• Do you play? Do you work?
• What do you eat?
• With a few friends can you plan a meal in a restaurant?
• What is the name of your restaurant?
• Will you need to send invitations?
• Will you need menus?
  

The children may also think of other role-play activities that they may collaborate on. This could be extended into finding
stories in books about similar characters and making up their own stories.

Meeting curriculum requirements:

This activity uses dressing up and role-play to stimulate language and personal, social and emotional development.
It requires observation, recollection and planning. This is also an art-related activity involving the development
of painting skills.

Tips for Painting:

Tabards must be kept flat when they are being painted
Have different brush sizes available
Encourage the children to paint boldly
Keep one set of brushes for each colour
If things go wrong, wipe out with a damp cloth

Useful Reference:

Pictures and story books with characters that they might choose.

What you will need:

Tabards, paints, paint trays, water jars, paper towels, rags and brushes.

Activity 0005 Become your favourite story or nursery rhyme character
Activity 0011 Paint your friend