Part 1: Theoretical Understanding of Dramatic Play

Chapter 1: The Foundation of Expressive Drama: Educational Drama
1.
History of Educational Theater
2.
The concept of educational theater
3.
Types and characteristics of educational theater
1) TIE (Theatre In Edication)
2) Children's Theatre
3) Forum Theatre
4) DIE (Drama in Education)
5) Creative Drama
6) Process Drama
4.
The educational effects of educational theater

Chapter 2 Understanding Expressive Drama
1.
The concept of expressive play
2.
Characteristics of expressive drama
3.
The role of a guide for expressive drama play
4.
Differences between dramatic play activities, play, and expressive dramatic play

Chapter 3: Perspectives on Expressive Drama
1.
Perspective of human existence
1) Humanism
2) Posthumanism
2.
The Perspective of the Child's Existence in Expressive Dramatic Play
1) Infant discourse from a human-centered perspective
2) Alternative early childhood discourse
3.
Posthuman Infant Cases Discovered in Everyday Life

Chapter 4: Background of Expressive Drama
1.
Expression and learning through play
2.
Children's Life and Drama
3.
Children's play
4.
Prospects and Challenges of Early Childhood Arts Education

Part 2: Dramatic Play Activities for Infants and Toddlers

Chapter 5 Dramatic Play Activities
1.
Warm-up activities for communication
1) Protect my bubbles
2) Become a robot
3) Alien Language Play (Giblish)
4) Let's say hello!
2.
Sensory opening activities
1) I love you crescendo
2) Guard the empty chair
3) Back magnet play
4) Umbelle play
5) Sound Tunnel
6) Follow the leader's movements
3.
dramatic activity
1) Transformation play
2) Time travel game
3) Hot seating
4) Expert's Cloak
5) Tablo

Chapter 6: Early Childhood Drama Program
1.
Programs within early childhood education institutions
1) Dream Eye
2.
Programs outside of educational institutions
1) Busan Museum of Modern Art
2) Busanjin Cultural Foundation

Chapter 7: Case Studies of Expressive Drama
1.
Expressive dramatic play in early childhood education institutions
1) Toddlers who create dramatic elements
2) Posthuman infants who experience dramatic experiences in depth
3) Case of expressive drama play with a teacher
2.
Expressive theatrical play outside of educational institutions

References |

The infants and children the author met were capable of freely interacting with each other and enjoying flexibly dramatic play, breaking down the dichotomy between reality and fantasy.
I wanted to get to know these children more deeply and participate in their dramatic world.
However, in the early childhood education field, the trend is to pursue tightly planned theatrical play activities.
The author also carried out the play with children in early childhood education settings according to a meticulous plan.
It is true that we pursued an activity plan that fit the given time, various techniques and methods to avoid noise, and neat photos to show parents.
Now that I think more deeply about the existence of children, I find these activities somewhat disappointing.
This is because the activities meticulously prepared by teachers are somewhat different from the forms and materials of play that children enjoy while playing.
In particular, the play seemed far removed from the play that arises from the natural playful impulse of young children, and the artistic expression of young children was limited, making them feel like beings being led by teachers.
Therefore, I began to think about the kind of theatrical play that I had previously had and the kind of theatrical play that could blur the boundaries between play and theater in the kindergarten classroom and permeate it.
In other words, despite the fact that the children's theatrical play is an unknown world where no one knows where or how it will flow, the fact that it is carried out with a detailed lesson plan that is structurally tight seemed to limit the children's free dramatic imagination.

As a practitioner of cultural arts education and an educator who nurtures future generations at a university, the author continuously ponders the possibilities of dramatic play that can foster the expression of children's existence.
And through this book, I would like to talk about the uniqueness of young children that is revealed in theatrical play that they take the lead in.
This book begins with a brief concept of educational theater and then moves on to present discourses on children in the postmodern era, along with examples of children the author has encountered.
I hope that this book will serve as a guide to the direction of artistic play and arts education, while urging that children's dramatic play begin with free play led by the children themselves, not by the teacher, and that we pay attention to the expression of children's being through dramatic play.