What it’s all about
Every March 20, the World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People asks a simple question: are we making room for kids to experience live performance? The day is organized by ASSITEJ International, a global network of theatre-makers who believe that every child, everywhere, has a right to see and make theatre. It is not about polished productions or famous names. It is about the wide-eyed moment when a young person realizes that a story is unfolding in front of them, in real time, with real people who might do anything next.
Theatre gives children something screens cannot. A live actor breathes the same air, reacts to a giggle in the third row, and turns a wobble into part of the show. That immediacy teaches kids to pay attention, to read faces and tone, and to trust that stories can be built out of nothing but a chair, a sheet, and imagination.
A little history
ASSITEJ, whose name comes from the French for the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People, was founded in the mid-1960s to connect artists who work for young audiences across borders. World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People grew out of that mission as an annual invitation, shared each March 20, to celebrate and demand access to performing arts for the young. Around the world, theatres mark it with open rehearsals, free workshops, and messages from writers and performers about why this work matters.
Kids do not need a grand stage to fall in love with theatre. They need one story and permission to play.
How to make the most of it
You do not need tickets or a budget to honor the day. The most theatrical thing in most homes is a hallway that can become a spotlight-lit runway. Start small: read a story out loud and let your child interrupt to act out a favorite part. Hand them a wooden spoon as a microphone and see what happens.
If you want to go further, look for a local children’s theatre, a puppet troupe, or a school production and buy the least expensive seats you can. Talk afterward about what felt real, what was pretend, and how the actors pulled it off. That backstage curiosity is where future performers, designers, and audiences are born.
And if you work with young people as a teacher, librarian, or coach, March 20 is a good excuse to try one theatre game this week. Freeze, mirror, or a group story where each person adds a sentence all build the same muscles: listening, courage, and the willingness to look a little silly in front of friends. Those are gifts worth giving a child, on this day and long after the curtain drops.
How to celebrate
- 1See a live show together
Look up a children's theatre, puppet company, or community playhouse near you and book tickets for a matinee. Live theatre lands differently than a screen: kids see real bodies, real voices, and mistakes handled gracefully. Even a small black-box production can spark weeks of retelling.
- 2Stage a living-room play
Pick a favorite picture book and act it out with whoever is home. Assign roles, drape a bedsheet as a curtain, and use a flashlight as a spotlight. Keep it loose and let kids improvise lines, then swap parts so everyone plays the villain at least once.
- 3Build a shoebox stage
Turn a shoebox into a tiny theatre and make characters from popsicle sticks and paper. Cut a slot in the bottom to slide puppets across, and paint a simple backdrop inside the lid. It gives shy kids a way to perform from behind the scenes.
- 4Learn one theatre game
Try a classic like 'freeze,' where two players act a scene until someone yells freeze, taps in, and starts a brand-new scene from the frozen pose. These games teach listening, quick thinking, and cooperation. They work with two kids or a whole birthday party.