My two daughters rub the backs of their ears to retrieve some magic dust, which they then use to summon a pile of pizza and ice cream, before tucking into the newly created feast with arm-waving gusto.

This sounds like the stuff of dreams for any imaginative young child, but in this instance, it's not just fantasy play — it's a scene that recently unfolded during a drama workshop for kids in Tokyo.

The benefits of drama activities for children are well documented — from boosting confidence and physical development to honing emotional intelligence and communication skills (not to mention providing a much-needed outlet for runaway imaginations). When I first heard about weekend drama workshops, I was not only curious as to what such a workshop would involve, but also how children as young as mine — aged 2 and 4 — might react.