Jamie’s Story
Jamie is a bundle of joy and smiles! His confidence has grown immensly in the 10 months since he started Drama Tots. He loves to give hugs! Take a look what Jamie’s mummy has shared with us:
How long have you been coming to Drama Tots?
10 months
What does Jamie enjoy most about Drama Tots classes?
Jamie loves the imaginative play with the other children. He's captured by each adventure and loves it when the suitcase opens!
Does Jamie have a favourite Drama Tots activity or lesson?
He loves the Drama Tots song and often asks us to sing it at home while he joins in with the actions. His favourite lesson to date was when we went to the park and had a teddy bear picnic.
Has Drama Tots benefited Jamie?
We've seen Jamie's confidence and independence develop so much. He joined Drama Tots at 18 months and to start with always wanted mummy to join him to collect props and when taking part in activities. Now he's one of the first to run over on his own to collect props, and is very confident dashing over to sit with the other children for a story, or seeking out a cuddle from Leanne.
Drama Tots has also definitely taught Jamie big, medium and little and he uses the signs at home and in class. His speech has improved and developed, and he will tell daddy, grandma and grandad about the activities we've done at Drama Tots. He really enjoyed telling daddy about the Castles class with the marching and coins for the money box.
Do you enjoy participating in Drama Tots classes alongside Jamie?
Drama Tots is one of the highlights of my week as a parent, and one of Jamie's favourite times too. I always feel so welcome at the start of the class, and it's really nice when Leanne says hello to us both! It's also nice to mix with other parents and little ones.
Jamie was born in the height of the pandemic, and I'd struggled with my mental health from being isolated for so long. I felt Jamie had missed out on so many opportunities to socialise and experience the world, but joining Drama Tots has given me a real boost. It makes me so happy each week to see Jamie having fun and developing new skills and confidence.
Does Jamie talk about Drama Tots between sessions?
Every morning one of the first things Jamie will ask is if it's Drama Tots today. He often asks to see Leanne and will ask us to sing the Drama Tots song multiple times a day. He likes to repeat his favourite activities from class and loves marching to music, driving his car or bus (with a plate steering wheel) or giving himself and his toys a bath with a muslin.
We also have one of the Drama Tots CDs which has been a real help on car journeys as we can sing along to the songs and Jamie will join in with some singing and actions.
Tell us about the atmosphere in class.
The atmosphere is always really positive and happy. It's lovely to arrive and be greeted by Leanne with a big smile and hello. It makes such a difference that she knows each child's name, and the name of the adults too. Classes are very relaxed. Everyone is welcoming and kind. It's also great that the majority of the adults are very happy to get stuck in and take part in all of the activities too. That really encouraged me when I joined, and I didn't feel at all self conscious. Jamie has the best time because he feels happy and safe, and he can see I'm enjoying myself and everyone else is too.
What qualities does your Drama Tots teacher bring to class?
Leanne is just a lovely person. She's always happy, smiley and bubbly and you can see she loves leading the classes. She encourages all of the little ones to join in and get the most from Drama Tots. Her warmth and kindness makes all of the children feel safe and relaxed, and looking around the room you can see they are all content and having fun.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD?
I just want to let you know that Drama Tots classes are fantastic! When lockdown eased and I felt more confident taking Jamie to classes we tried lots of different things, but Drama Tots was our instant favourite. I'd heard such good things about the classes and knew I wanted to try it out once Jamie was old enough (joining the waiting list 6 months early), and we both loved it from the very first class.
What makes Drama Tots special is Leanne as the leader. The combination of her warmth, happiness and ability to remain calm and in control is wonderful.
Other classes we have tried lack structure. Kids run around with no sense of purpose, and while they're having fun it can be overwhelming and they're not gaining that much from it. I love the consistency of the start and end songs, and whilst the story is different each week lots of the activities have common elements or are similar to previous weeks which is great from a learning and participation point for such small children. Jamie really thrives when he repeats activities. An example would be the bean bag activities. His throwing is improving and his ability to follow instructions. He's still so little and learning to focus, but he participates for longer and shows growing understanding and confidence when playing with a bean bag, whether that's balancing it on his head or using it to make cookies!
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