Adventures in Lower Elementary: Frog and Toad, from Page to Stage!
This week, our Lower Elementary friends headed to Children's Theatre of Charlotte to see the musical A Year with Frog and Toad!
In preparation, we've been reading Arnold Lobel's beloved Frog and Toad stories together. The children enjoyed the gentle humor, endearing characters, and simple adventures of these two unlikely best friends. Before our trip, we also spent time imagining how the stories and characters might be adapted for the stage.
Comparing different forms of storytelling is a surprisingly sophisticated exercise in critical thinking and artistic interpretation. One of my favorite college courses was called Theatre into Film, in which we examined how theatrical works are adapted for the screen. Although the concept is straightforward, every creative choice offers something to consider: What changes? What stays the same? Why? And what do those decisions tell us about the artists creating a particular production for a particular audience?
The children brought that same curiosity to the theater, comparing their predictions with what they saw onstage. To my delight, they were especially interested in the production itself — the costumes, sets, and lighting design. Following the performance, they even had an opportunity for a Q&A with the cast, asking thoughtful questions about how the scenery was changed between scenes. I loved seeing them consider not only the storytelling, but also the creativity, engineering, and teamwork behind the scenes!
And perhaps the best indication of a successful field trip ... when we returned to school and settled in for some reading time, our classroom copy of Frog and Toad was in very high demand!
Beyond the artistic experience, Frog and Toad offered lovely reminders about friendship, patience, kindness, and accepting differences, while our trip provided another opportunity to practice independence, grace and courtesy, and being thoughtful members of an audience.
With that, we've wrapped up our first stretch of the school year and are heading into Fall Break! We hope everyone enjoys some wonderful family time and a chance to rest and recharge.
Happy Fall Break! 🐸💚🍂
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