Plays: Peter Pan

Peter Pan is also a fantasy, so consider how seeing it might affect or benefit a child of a particular age.
How would you present this play in your classroom or share it with your children? What objectives and activities would you associate with the play?

Children soak in everything. With plays, they see another world played out in front of them. I’m a firm believer that plays should be seen and not read. I was fortunate enough that my grandmother agreed with me so I went to see Cats and Annie with her when I was growing up, along with Evita, Taming of the Shrew (in the round! It was amazing!) and plenty others thanks to school programs. I feel Peter Pan is appealing to a good range of kids, and young ones would love to see it performed. With a library setting, I’d have not a fully cast performance, but maybe a shadow puppet or regular puppet show performed for the kids. Kids should always be encouraged to participate and have fun, so were I working in a school program I would gladly help them put on Peter Pan with child actors. I feel that middle school is getting too old or this, but elementary seems good to me. I always loved Peter Pan for being interactive and younger is better here because I feel that children can suspend their belief more easily as they are younger. Whether you believe in fairies or not, it’s difficult to not want to clap for Tink to live when the play is done well. It’s infectious!
The play itself is fun and good. Wendy, John, and Michael and mostly just playing pretend throughout. They learn that though you should remain a child as long as you’re permitted, there is a time to grow up and take up responsibilities. Wendy especially, and young girls through her, finds that the role of mother while fun can be trying and that she really isn’t a mother yet, but she certainly is aging. Peter on the other hand doesn’t learn and he never will. He isn’t unhappy, but he is alone in the end. I'm sad for Peter in the end because other versions he does go back and one I swear he fell in love with Wendy's granddaughter or daughter or something. I found that very sweet.

Like a few (too few:-() others, you has the experience with live theatre that most kids have--it's much more interactive than movies.
Cute idea for the library.
Not sure middle (or even high school) is too old for this--my nephew (in the picture) was in late middle school when he played Peter, and the audience ranged in age from 2 to 70--and all loved it, nit to mention clapping for Tink:-).
Good on the themes.
I recall the version you mention--might it have been the Mary Martin?

It is really hard to beat theatre first hand. Something my wife and I are trying to do is expose our children to such. We know it will only benefit them and help give them an appreciation for something other than movies and tv.
Shadow puppets. Now that is an intersting concept and I do believe the children would love it.