PLAY
IS NOT A FOUR-LETTER WORD
(excerpts
from posts)
(If you want to retell any of the stories listed below, be sure
to obtain permission from the copyright holder if the material
is not in the public domain)
Query:
Play is not a four-letter word!! OK, oh great wisdom keepers,
what stories would you tell if this was your theme? Oriented to
preschoolers. Obviously those with participation, right?, but
which are your favorites, and why?
1) There is a story in a book with the title something like A
Horse of a Different Color. Anyway, there is a little old woman
who was raised in a circus--little bit of magic, tricks, etc.
And her parents taught her how to save. So she boxed up odd moments
of time: 15 minutes age 10; 10 minutes age 5, 1 day age 7, etc.
And when she was old, she decided to spend her savings. And she
had a great time wading in the stream, jumping rope, etc. Housework
didn't get done but she had a lot of fun. And then she died and
when they opened her safe, they found a small box labeled "10
minutes, age 2". And they opened it. So if you see adults
acting like 2 year olds, you can blame it on those 20 minutes
that are just floating around. This much of the story (probably
very much changed) may help someone to identify the book and the
story. It is a great story. If not and it looks interesting, email
me back and I will dig for the book and the story title. I think
the author is Jonathan Al. . . something, possibly Alberg or something
like that.
Response: That story is called 'Life
Savings' although we often refer to it as 'The
Woman Who Saved Time'. It is in "The
Clothes Horse" and Other Stories: by Allan Ahlberg,
Janet Ahlberg (Illustrator) which is now out of print in the US.
The final box is labeled 'one half hour, four years old' It was
the very first time she had saved. It goes from person to person
making them act like 4-year-olds while trying to find her. Because
it can't get used up until it finds her, it is still out there
looking for her.
2) How about the Three Butterfly Brothers.
I use colored pipe cleaners as flowers and butterflies. The kids
really like it. Try the Gunniwolf
with the little girl singing her, “ABC’s”. Gunniwolf
learns how to sing>sounds of letters>first reading Gunniwolf!
I use Mr. Wiggle/Waggle all the time.
I’ve changed it up some. Usually use it around Thanksgiving
and the two friends are sharing their food. Sometimes I use names
of kids in the audience and sometimes ethnic names, depending
on the audience. I’ve got a teacher book called Song,
Poems and Fingerplays that is just right for pre-schoolers
and use it often. Want to borrow it? I’ve also got Juba
This.. And Joining In:, if
you like. (Mel and I both live in Dallas. This gives me an excuse
for visiting her.)
3) Do you want stories or games? There are so many, it hard to
choose. Mary's suggestion of "Mulberry
Bush" is a good one--preschoolers ALWAYS love this
game--you might couple it with a story--maybe about someone who
gets up in the morning and doesn't know how to get ready for the
day, and the children have to "show" him by doing the
game (if I was going to do this as Mother Goose, I would let my
goose puppet be the ignorant one.) Another favorite is "The
Farmer in the Dell," although you should pick a child
five or older to be the "farmer" and the "cheese"
as younger children usually don't like to singled out. Any of
the singing circle games where everyone participtes together is
good. 18months to 4 yrs. enjoy really simple ones like "Ring
Around the Rosie" (be prepared to repeat several times!)
and "Sally Go Round the Sun."
If you have children 4 and up, they can act out simple stories
as you tell them--especially repetitive stories, like The
Turnip. One story I've told with dramatic participation
is about a little ant who saves a rooster from the fox--the ant
sees the fox grab the rooster (who is being very cocky--that's
why he gets nabbed), and the ant tells the hen, who tells the
duck, who tells the dog, who tells the goat, who tells the cow,
who tells the horse, who tells the farmer, who finally chases
after the fox, and they get the rooster back.
Do you have any of the "Wee Sing"
booklets? There are lots of good singing games in the one (I think)
called "Wee Sing and Play."
The title of the program is obviously aimed at adults, not children,
who really don't know anything about "four letter words."
Is this a sort of teaching program for the parents--to show them
how to play with their children?
4) Littlesugar, Amy, The Spinner's Daughter.
I found this one quite by accident at the library, but my kiddos
loved it! A young Puritan girl works hard, never plays, until
she sees a Native American boy playing in his corn field. He makes
her a corn husk doll (directions in the book) and she, with the
help of a wise judge (one of those at Salem, can't remember his
name, of cours), affirms the right of a child to play. . . . after
the work is done.
5)
(This
web page updated 5/11/04)
