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!)

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.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Super-simple puppet song I used with the toddlers.

Puppets:
butterfly, duck, crocodile
(You could use any water-related puppets on hand.)

Props:
none

Row, row, row your boat
see a butterfly
flapping her lovely wings as she flutters by.

Row, row, row your boat
see a hungry duck
quack his bill
and shake his tail
digging in the muck.

Row, row, row your boat
gently down the stream
if you see a crocodile,
don't forget to scream!

Who Said Meow? Polushkin

I told the book Who Said Meow? with a little adaptation. It was a simple skit, with the children helping make animal sounds.

Book:  Who Said Meow?--Polushkin

Props:  None

Puppets:
dog
mouse
bee
bird
frog
cat

Fleagle the puppy is sleeping when he hears a "MEOW!" Awakened from his sweet puppy dreaming, he goes in search of the source of the meow and encounters different animals along the way. He asks each one, "Did you say MEOW?" and each answers with their own sound. (Children love helping with this part).
Finally, he gives up, goes back to his nap and is again awakened by a "MEOW!" He sees cat. Of course, she is the source of the "MEOW!"

Very simple. Very effective.

I Spy Toddler Puppet Rhyme

I Spy With My Little Eye . . .

Any number of puppets can be used. For example:
     "I spy with my little eye
     a red bird flying by.
     I spy with my little eye
     a brown kangaroo hopping by."

You can go as long as they're interested.

Easy and simple.
    

Bugs!

A really simple puppet song; good with toddlers.

Puppets:
bugs, whatever you may have on hand


Props:
none

This particular day I used:  a bee, a butterfly, and a grasshopper.

"The Bugs in the Field"
[tune:  The Wheels on the Bus"]

The bee in the field goes bzzz bzzz bzzz . . . all day long
(Repeat with as many bugs as hold children's interest.)

Counting

A quick counting puppet skit for toddlers.

Puppets:
One puppet, two of the same puppets, three of the same puppets
Props:
None

I told the children I had puppets in my bag:
"I have puppets in my bag, wanna see?
They will help us count to three!
Can you help me count to three?
1,2,3!"

I used one pink pig.
Then, pulled out two green frogs.
Finally, three red birds.