I adapted Jonathan Allen's book I'm Not Cute! into a short puppet skit for my preschool storytime. It was very easy and the kids loved the hugging parts.
I didn't have all the animals in the book, so I used puppets on hand and it still worked out great. Use puppets that have arms, legs or wings you can get your hands into so they can really hug!
Puppets:
baby owl finger puppet
Mama owl puppet
kangaroo
bat
beaver
Props:
a small nest (or you can simply cup your hands into a nest)
One day, baby owl took to the woods. Walking along the trail, he ran into kangaroo. "Hello, baby owl!" she called. "Aren't you the cutest thing? You're so cute and cuddly!" (kangaroo hugs baby owl) And she hopped away. "I'm not cute!" baby owl cried out. "I am a scary and sleek hunting machine!" and baby owl continued walking. Next he saw bat swoop down from the sky and land on the trail in front of him. "Hello, baby owl!" said bat. "Oh, you are so cute and so fluffy!" (bat hugs baby owl) And bat flew back into the sky. "I'm not cute!" baby owl cried. "I am a scary and sleek hunting machine!" and continued following the path before him. He came upon beaver. "Hello, baby owl!" beaver said. "You are sooo cute! and sooo sweet!" (beaver hugs baby owl) and beaver hopped into the stream and swam away. "I am not cute!" baby owl cried. "I am a scary and sleek hunting machine!" and off he went, kicking stones down the trail.
He bumped into Mama owl. "Hello darling," she said. "Mama, it's not fair!" cried baby owl. "Kangaroo, bat, and beaver all think I'm cute, cuddly, fluffy, and sweet--and I AM NOT! I AM A SCARY AND SLEEK HUNTING MACHINE!"
"Of course you are," Mama owl said. "You aren't cute or cuddly or fluffy or sweet."
Baby owl thought for a moment. He started to cry. "I am cute!" "I am cuddly, and fluffy, AND SWEET!" he shouted.
"Oh, baby owl," said Mama owl, "you're tired. Let's put you to bed." Mama owl took baby home and tucked him into his nest. Soon, he was fast asleep.
"Baby owl," Mama whispered, "you are cute, cuddly, fluffy, and sweet . . . for a scary and sleek hunting machine, that is. And I love you."
THE END
Simple ideas for using puppets in story time.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
The Cardinal and the Watering Can
I found this simple story online from the NY Public Library. I had to adapt it, since the original is a bluebird and a watering can and I only have a cardinal. Super-easy and quick. A good chance for little ones to practice listening skills.
Puppet:
Any bird you have on hand
Props:
A watering can
a nest
stones
(Pass one stone to each child to hold during the story. Tell them it's part of little cardinal's plan.)
One day a little cardinal was flying home. She was very tired and very thirsty. But she couldn't find water to drink anywhere! She flew high and low, looking for a stream or a puddle and there were none to be found. She stopped on a tree limb to rest. (Perch her on your arm. Pant.) She was so thirsty!
Just then, she spotted a green watering can next to the flower bed. Maybe it has water in it! she thought.
She flew down and perched on the edge of the can. Yes! There was water inside!
But little cardinal couldn't get all the way in the bottom where the water was--she might get stuck. So she thought and thought and came up with a plan: if she could tip the watering can over, she may be able to pour water to the edge of the can and have a drink.
Little cardinal pushed and pushed and pushed, but she couldn't turn the watering can over! She was so thirsty!
So she thought and thought and came up with another plan. (One child interjected that little cardinal could go find a grown-up to pour the water out of the can; another child offered his stuffed bunny to help little cardinal push the can over!)
Next to the can, she saw a pile of stones. One by one, she dropped the stones into the can. (I let children help with this part and put their stone into the watering can.) Do you know what happened? Each stone she dropped in the can caused the water to rise a bit. With each stone, up and up the water rose until it was high enough in the can for cardinal to take a sip.
What a good plan! Little cardinal was no longer thirsty, and flew on to her nest.
So, when you encounter a problem, stop and take time to think. You CAN solve your problem, even if it's one small stone at a time.
Puppet:
Any bird you have on hand
Props:
a nest
stones
(Pass one stone to each child to hold during the story. Tell them it's part of little cardinal's plan.)
One day a little cardinal was flying home. She was very tired and very thirsty. But she couldn't find water to drink anywhere! She flew high and low, looking for a stream or a puddle and there were none to be found. She stopped on a tree limb to rest. (Perch her on your arm. Pant.) She was so thirsty!
Just then, she spotted a green watering can next to the flower bed. Maybe it has water in it! she thought.
She flew down and perched on the edge of the can. Yes! There was water inside!
But little cardinal couldn't get all the way in the bottom where the water was--she might get stuck. So she thought and thought and came up with a plan: if she could tip the watering can over, she may be able to pour water to the edge of the can and have a drink.
Little cardinal pushed and pushed and pushed, but she couldn't turn the watering can over! She was so thirsty!
So she thought and thought and came up with another plan. (One child interjected that little cardinal could go find a grown-up to pour the water out of the can; another child offered his stuffed bunny to help little cardinal push the can over!)
Next to the can, she saw a pile of stones. One by one, she dropped the stones into the can. (I let children help with this part and put their stone into the watering can.) Do you know what happened? Each stone she dropped in the can caused the water to rise a bit. With each stone, up and up the water rose until it was high enough in the can for cardinal to take a sip.
What a good plan! Little cardinal was no longer thirsty, and flew on to her nest.
So, when you encounter a problem, stop and take time to think. You CAN solve your problem, even if it's one small stone at a time.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Zoo Ah-choooo Pre-K
I adapted Peter Mandel's Zoo Ah-choooo! as a short puppet skit for a recent animal-themed preschool storytime. I used puppets we have here at my branch and tweaked it a bit for the audience. In all, it worked out great and was fun.
Puppets:
zebra
elephant
lion
monkey
penguin
bat
hippo
Props:
None
(Though you could use a bottle marked "medicine" to give the animals.
It was a slooow day at the City Zoo. All of the animals were sleepy and slow. Not much was happening. A slooow day.
When, all of a sudden, there was a long LOUD sound.
It was a ZOO-AH-CHOOOO!
Where did it come from? I think it was . . . zebra. What did he do? He went AH-CHOOOO! Zebra sneezed—just one sneeze.
But, African elephant heard the sound. She raised her trunk . . . RRRrrr-eeeEEE-ahh-PHOO! Elephant sneeze! Stand back. A tree was down; a fence was flat.
The ZOO-AH-CHOOOO! WAS CATCHING.
Lion, lazing in the sun, felt a tickle in his whiskers. The zookeeper came running with nose drops and tissue, but it was too late. R-R-R-ROAR-AH-CHOO! Lion covered everyone in dust.
Zookeeper tried to wash zebra with spray cleaner.
Even monkey woke up and found his washcloth to scrub.
Over in the ice pond, penguin felt a tickle in his beak. ZOO-AH-CHOOOO!
Even bat, deep asleep in her cave, was awakened by the urge to . . . ah-choooo! (very quiet bat sneeze.)
What was the zookeeper to do? He called the Animal Doctor! The doctor made a fizzy solution for all the animals to drink. No more ZOO-AH-CHOOOO.
All was quiet again at the City Zoo.
It was a slooow day. Not much happening. Until—what was that? Not a sneeze. Not a burp. A hippo’s YAWN. Just one. (But it might be catching.) Did anyone hear it? Did the elephant? Did the penguin? Did you?! (OH NO!)
Puppets:
zebra
elephant
lion
monkey
penguin
bat
hippo
Props:
None
(Though you could use a bottle marked "medicine" to give the animals.
It was a slooow day at the City Zoo. All of the animals were sleepy and slow. Not much was happening. A slooow day.
When, all of a sudden, there was a long LOUD sound.
It was a ZOO-AH-CHOOOO!
Where did it come from? I think it was . . . zebra. What did he do? He went AH-CHOOOO! Zebra sneezed—just one sneeze.
But, African elephant heard the sound. She raised her trunk . . . RRRrrr-eeeEEE-ahh-PHOO! Elephant sneeze! Stand back. A tree was down; a fence was flat.
The ZOO-AH-CHOOOO! WAS CATCHING.
Lion, lazing in the sun, felt a tickle in his whiskers. The zookeeper came running with nose drops and tissue, but it was too late. R-R-R-ROAR-AH-CHOO! Lion covered everyone in dust.
Zookeeper tried to wash zebra with spray cleaner.
Even monkey woke up and found his washcloth to scrub.
Over in the ice pond, penguin felt a tickle in his beak. ZOO-AH-CHOOOO!
Even bat, deep asleep in her cave, was awakened by the urge to . . . ah-choooo! (very quiet bat sneeze.)
What was the zookeeper to do? He called the Animal Doctor! The doctor made a fizzy solution for all the animals to drink. No more ZOO-AH-CHOOOO.
All was quiet again at the City Zoo.
It was a slooow day. Not much happening. Until—what was that? Not a sneeze. Not a burp. A hippo’s YAWN. Just one. (But it might be catching.) Did anyone hear it? Did the elephant? Did the penguin? Did you?! (OH NO!)
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
The Spider and the Hippo
I adapted this simple skit from a longer puppet show script I found in Library Sparks. I don't have an ant puppet, as the original calls for, but I figured I could make my spider puppet work just as well--and it did!
First, I explained that hippos live far away in Africa. I told them that Africa is a hot and dry place, and that animals often congregate at a watering hole to drink and bathe. I encouraged them to help with the story by pretending to be trees: sitting on their trunks, their arm-limbs in the air and their hand-leaves waving in the breeze. I told them that spider would point out the trees to hippo, and they would know when to pretend to be trees.
At the watering hole, with hippo in the water.
Hippo: (Sobbing.) Oh, this just won't do! How am I ever going to have clean toes again?
Spider: Hello, hippo. I heard you crying. Are you ok?
Hippo: (Hippo looks around) Who's there?
Spider: Down here, hippo. Are you ok?
Hippo: Oh, hello spider. I have dreadfully dirty feet.
Spider: But, you're in the watering hole, hippo! Can't you just wash your feet?
Hippo: (Sniffling.) I have. As a matter of fact, I've washed my feet 20 times already! But every time I try to get out of the watering hole, I step in mud and they're all dirty again! (Sobbing continues.)
Spider: Hmmm. What about a bath mat to step out on.
Hippo: (Sobbing.) I don't have a bath mat! (More crying.)
Spider: Hmmm. Listen, I think I have an idea, hippo.
Hippo: Really? An idea? (Sniffling.)
Spider: Yes. Do you see those trees out there? I can collect all the leaves and put them around the watering hole, so you'll step out on nice clean leaves instead of the mud.
Hippo: (Sniffling.) But, how will you get up the trees?
Spider: I have eight legs, silly. I can climb very well.
Hippo: But, how will you get the leaves out of the trees?
Spider: I am very strong. I can shake the trees and all the leaves will fall to the ground.
Hippo: But, how will you get all the leaves?
Spider: I am very fast. I will run and gather them all!
Hippo: Please try, spider! Or I may be stuck in here forever! (Sobbing.)
And spider did just what he promised. He climbed each tree. He shook the trees. (have children shake) And all the leaves came down, just like he said. (have children pretend their hands are leaves, falling to the ground.) Then, he ran as fast as his eight little legs would go and collected all the leaves. He put them down on the mud and hippo stepped out of the watering hole.
Hippo: This is perfect, spider! I feel like dancing! (make hippo dance and be silly.)
Spider: Hippo! Look out! Down here!
Hippo: Sorry, spider! I got carried away--I'm just so happy! Thank you! I'm going home now to paint my clean toenails!
And that's just what she did.
The End.
First, I explained that hippos live far away in Africa. I told them that Africa is a hot and dry place, and that animals often congregate at a watering hole to drink and bathe. I encouraged them to help with the story by pretending to be trees: sitting on their trunks, their arm-limbs in the air and their hand-leaves waving in the breeze. I told them that spider would point out the trees to hippo, and they would know when to pretend to be trees.
At the watering hole, with hippo in the water.
Hippo: (Sobbing.) Oh, this just won't do! How am I ever going to have clean toes again?
Spider: Hello, hippo. I heard you crying. Are you ok?
Hippo: (Hippo looks around) Who's there?
Spider: Down here, hippo. Are you ok?
Hippo: Oh, hello spider. I have dreadfully dirty feet.
Spider: But, you're in the watering hole, hippo! Can't you just wash your feet?
Hippo: (Sniffling.) I have. As a matter of fact, I've washed my feet 20 times already! But every time I try to get out of the watering hole, I step in mud and they're all dirty again! (Sobbing continues.)
Spider: Hmmm. What about a bath mat to step out on.
Hippo: (Sobbing.) I don't have a bath mat! (More crying.)
Spider: Hmmm. Listen, I think I have an idea, hippo.
Hippo: Really? An idea? (Sniffling.)
Spider: Yes. Do you see those trees out there? I can collect all the leaves and put them around the watering hole, so you'll step out on nice clean leaves instead of the mud.
Hippo: (Sniffling.) But, how will you get up the trees?
Spider: I have eight legs, silly. I can climb very well.
Hippo: But, how will you get the leaves out of the trees?
Spider: I am very strong. I can shake the trees and all the leaves will fall to the ground.
Hippo: But, how will you get all the leaves?
Spider: I am very fast. I will run and gather them all!
Hippo: Please try, spider! Or I may be stuck in here forever! (Sobbing.)
And spider did just what he promised. He climbed each tree. He shook the trees. (have children shake) And all the leaves came down, just like he said. (have children pretend their hands are leaves, falling to the ground.) Then, he ran as fast as his eight little legs would go and collected all the leaves. He put them down on the mud and hippo stepped out of the watering hole.
Hippo: This is perfect, spider! I feel like dancing! (make hippo dance and be silly.)
Spider: Hippo! Look out! Down here!
Hippo: Sorry, spider! I got carried away--I'm just so happy! Thank you! I'm going home now to paint my clean toenails!
And that's just what she did.
The End.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)