This article analyses plays written for child performers in the early
twentieth century. The plays chosen are classified as ‘‘instructional’’ and aimed at
developing pupils’ knowledge of the curriculum. The focus is on understanding why
these plays were useful for Froebelian educators in the period. Friedrich Froebel
(1782–1852) was a German pedagogue, who is most widely known for establishing
the kindergarten movement and for promoting child-centred learning. The use of
instructional drama was appealing to many of his followers, as it chimed with their
understanding of the need for experiential approaches to education. Nature study
was particularly important to Froebel, and therefore this article evaluates instructional
plays about the natural world, offering a close examination of five examples.
They contain active, holistic and multi-sensory learning experiences which would
have appealed to Froebelian teachers. They all use elements of anthropomorphism
and some also use fairies to engage children with the subject matter. Such devices
could be problematic in texts that were written for the purpose of teaching scientific
realities and the representation of a human sensibility trapped in plant or animal
form could sometimes result in emotionally distressing situations. However, the
medium of drama gave children the power to make their own meaning from the
material presented, perhaps through re-interpreting the plot with unscripted actions
or through lightening the mood with a touch of humour. This was an advantage

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• A Pleasant Way of Teaching the Little Ones to Recognise Flowers’’: Instructional Nature Plays in Early 20th Century Britain