- Definition
Improvisation is when your child makes up a little play or story on the spot, without any practice or script, often inspired by an idea or object.
When a teacher gives a student a hat and says 'act like the person who wears this,' the student is doing improvisation.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Improvisation is like playing with your toys and making up the story as you go along.
Ask your child: If your toy just found a magic key, what happens next?
Common mix-up: Kids may think acting is always about memorizing lines from a script. Improvisation is about creating the story and words on the spot, without any script at all.
Examples
- Two kids pretending to be a shopkeeper and a customer, making up their conversation as they go.
- Acting out what might happen next after a story ends.
improvisation is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
