Early Years Drama Programmes for Nurseries
Transforming Education Through Drama
The Learning Stage is here to help take your nursery to the next level.
We offer an innovative, fun, and holistic approach to learning that empowers children to thrive both academically and emotionally, making your nursery stand out, whilst also providing the very best opportunities for the children you care for.
We are here to help!
Our two programmes, Play Phonics and Happy Brain Island, were created to address these challenges. Play Phonics uses drama and puppetry to make phonics fun and engaging, while Happy Brain Island helps children understand and manage their emotions in a playful, interactive way. Both programmes are designed to help children grow academically and emotionally, giving nurseries a tool to provide something truly special and impactful.
Our 30-minute weekly drama sessions are the perfect antidote to digital distractions. Children dive into imaginative role-play and storytelling, giving them the space to focus, engage, and learn through play. These sessions quickly become the highlight of their week, as they build concentration, creativity, and the ability to stay present, all while developing essential skills for emotional regulation and phonics.
The Learning Stage Approach
At The Learning Stage, we know that drama is a powerful tool for unlocking a child’s potential. We’ve seen it firsthand – when children are engaged, laughing, and using their imagination, they not only learn more effectively but also grow in confidence. That’s why we use the magic of drama to make learning exciting and to support children’s emotional growth.
We understand the pressures nurseries face – from meeting rising expectations, navigating government standards, and keeping up with everything in a world that’s constantly changing. And on top of that, children today are facing challenges that didn’t exist 10 years ago – things like screen time, shifting behaviours, and the impact of the pandemic. Concentration, emotional regulation, language development – it’s all more important than ever.
Play Phonics – Learning to Read the Fun Way!
Play Phonics brings phonics to life through drama. The character Sammy Sounds leads the way as children embark on exciting adventures that make phonics fun and memorable. By combining movement, role-play, and storytelling, children pick up phonics skills – blending, segmenting, and decoding words – while having a blast. We don’t just teach children to read; we help them fall in love with reading!
Happy Brain Island – Empowering Children to Navigate Big Emotions
Happy Brain Island is all about helping children understand and manage their emotions. Through drama and puppetry, children get to explore their feelings in a creative, fun way. Led by the character Mindful Max, children learn emotional regulation, empathy, and resilience. The interactive, role-play-based adventures build social-emotional skills that last a lifetime.
Hi, I’m Emmy, the creator of Play Phonics and Happy Brain Island.
I’ve spent over a decade combining my passion for acting and education to create innovative learning experiences for children. After working as a teaching assistant in primary schools, I noticed how many children struggled with traditional phonics lessons. As an actor, I knew there had to be a more engaging way to help them learn. So, in 2013, I created Play Phonics, blending drama with phonics to make learning to read not only easier but also a joyful, imaginative experience that children love.
In 2025, after hearing from nursery owners about the growing need for emotional wellbeing and social skills support, I created Happy Brain Island. This programme uses interactive drama and puppetry to help children understand and regulate their emotions, undertand the basics of how their brain works, and develop essential social skills—giving them the tools they need to thrive in today’s world.
I’m also a children’s TV writer and currently working on a new preschool series for CBeebies called Playtime Towers, where I continue to bring fun, creativity, and learning to life in new ways.
I live in South London with my husband and two daughters, both of whom are well-versed in all things Sammy Sounds and Happy Brain Island! I’m incredibly proud of the impact The Learning Stage has had, and I’m excited to keep helping children thrive through our drama adventures.