Peter Pan's Neverland Adventure

Nursery and Reception

Help Peter Pan travel to Neverland by becoming pirates and mermaids, playing drama games and sneaking past Captain Hook to rescue the treasure.

Activities include:

• Peter Pan's Welcome: Peter Pan arrives to invite the children into the story and asks for helpers who love to have fun. The class joins the adventure by stepping into role together. What it teaches: Listening, imagination, confidence and turn-taking.
• Tick Tock Croc: Children practise quick stop-and-freeze responses when they hear the special cue, helping everyone stay safe in Neverland. What it teaches: Focus, self-regulation and responding to instructions.
• Coconut Calypso Warm-Up: A lively pirate and mermaid themed movement warm-up using music to build energy and prepare bodies for drama. What it teaches: Gross motor skills, coordination and spatial awareness.
• Sailing to Neverland: Children sail together using mime, taking on simple roles (lookout, sailor, crew) and rowing towards Mermaid Lagoon. What it teaches: Cooperative play, shared storytelling and language development.
• Marooners' Rock: Tiger Lily appears, and the "rock" behaves strangely! Children watch and guess feelings and reactions in a playful drama game. What it teaches: Emotional recognition, empathy and expressive communication.
• Tinker Bell's Wish Cool Down: A calm imaginative ending where children make a wish and settle back into a quiet focus. What it teaches: Calm transitions and self-regulation.

Curriculum Focus:

• Communication & Language: Listening, attention and understanding through storytelling, questioning and drama play
• Physical Development: Gross motor control, balance and coordination through movement games and mime
• PSED: Self-regulation, confidence and cooperation through turn-taking, freeze control and group play

Book suggestions: Pirates Love Underpants by Claire Freedman (illustrated by Ben Cort), Barry the Fish with Fingers by Sue Hendra, You're Not a Proper Pirate, Sidney Green! by Catherine Jacob (illustrated by Rhiannon Sanderson), Julian Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love.

Year 1

Children are recruited by Peter Pan to travel to Neverland in disguise and help rescue the treasure from Captain Hook.

Activities include:

• Peter Pan's Welcome & Disguise: Peter Pan introduces the mission, and children choose to become pirates or mermaids/mermen, creating names and stepping into their roles. What it teaches: Speaking and listening, confidence and imaginative role-play.
• Tick Tock Croc: A quick-reaction freeze game to help outsmart Captain Hook. What it teaches: Focus, impulse control and responding to cues.
• Neverland Characters: Through playful commands, children explore how Neverland characters move and behave (flying, creeping, rowing, walking the plank). What it teaches: Creativity, characterisation and expressive movement.
• The Shadow Game: Inspired by Peter Pan's lost shadow, children copy and then perform opposites, building control and coordination. What it teaches: Body awareness, concentration and physical control.
• Sailing to Neverland: Children work as a crew, rowing and travelling through Neverland settings on the way to The Jolly Roger. What it teaches: Teamwork, sequencing events and shared storytelling.
• Captain Hook's Treasure Challenge: Children freeze into treasure shapes when Hook appears and work together to rescue the treasure. What it teaches: Concentration, ensemble awareness and storytelling through play.
• Tinker Bell's Wish Cool Down: A gentle reflective ending to settle and refocus. What it teaches: Calm transitions and emotional awareness.

Curriculum Focus:

• English (Spoken Language): Participate in role-play, take turns in discussion, speak audibly and build vocabulary through drama
• Physical Education: Develop balance, agility and coordination through controlled movement, travelling and freeze work
• PSHE: Build confidence, teamwork and cooperation through group challenges and shared success

Book suggestions: The Pirates Next Door by Jonny Duddle, You Can't Take an Elephant on the Bus by Patricia Cleveland-Peck (illustrated by David Tazzyman), Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae (illustrated by David Wojtowycz), Grandad's Camper by Harry Woodgate.

Year 2

Children take on a leadership role in the mission, developing stronger acting skills, teamwork, and storytelling as they rescue the treasure from The Jolly Roger.

Activities include:

• Peter Pan's Welcome & Mission: Children join Peter Pan's adventure and commit to helping recover the treasure, staying in role throughout. What it teaches: Listening, imagination, confidence and collaboration.
• Character Command Game: A challenging command game encouraging bold voice, gesture, and acting choices (including "Captain's Coming"). What it teaches: Characterisation, expressive communication and focus.
• Peter Pan Freeze Frames: In groups, children create still images of key story moments, building a clear sequence and strong stage pictures. What it teaches: Narrative structure, teamwork and storytelling through drama.
• Navigating Neverland: Children follow spoken directions through Mermaid Lagoon and Ravaging Rocks, freezing instantly when danger appears. What it teaches: Listening, spatial awareness and quick decision-making.
• Pirate Rap: Children learn and perform a short rap with actions (and optional group performance). What it teaches: Rhythm, memory, ensemble work and confidence.
• Captain Hook's Treasure Challenge: Children use timing and stillness to outsmart Hook and recover the treasure. What it teaches: Concentration, self-control and problem-solving as a group.
• Tinker Bell's Wish Cool Down: A calm ending to reflect and reset. What it teaches: Self-regulation and transition back to learning.

Curriculum Focus:

• English (Spoken Language): Use drama and role-play to speak clearly, perform, and build vocabulary linked to character and story
• Physical Education: Apply balance, agility, and coordination in movement sequences, travelling, and controlled freeze work
• Music: Use the voice expressively and rhythmically through rap, echo, and group performance

Book suggestions: The Worst Princess by Anna Kemp (illustrated by Sara Ogilvie), The Pirates of Scurvy Sands by Jonny Duddle, The Pirates Are Coming! by John Condon (illustrated by Matt Hunt), The Invisible String by Patrice Karst (illustrated by Geoff Stevenson).

Why You'll Love These Workshops:

• Boosts Confidence and Communication: Drama helps children build confidence and express themselves in a fun, supportive setting
• Terrific for Topics: A brilliant fit for adventure, journeys, heroes and villains topics
• Stimulates Creative Projects: Workshops are a great jumping-off point for follow-up activities, including art, creative writing and class performances
• Energetic and Engaging: These high-energy workshops are interactive, imagination-driven and perfect for keeping children moving and engaged
• Tailored to Younger Audiences: Designed specifically for Nursery and KS1, these workshops introduce students to performing arts in a fun and accessible way

Book Your Free Session Now!

Thanks to our Drama4ALL initiative, these popular workshops are completely free of charge for schools and are booked on a first-come, first-served basis.

To book your school's drama workshop, simply email [email protected] or call 0207 255 9134.