February 2023
THE WIGGLE FAMILY
Participation Story
Directions: Assign children to be the different characters below. (Two or three children can be each character.) Instruct them to stand up, wiggle, and then sit back down whenever their name is mentioned in the story.
Hint! When telling the story, pause slightly after saying each character's name.
Mama Sister Baby Cat Grandma
Papa Brother Dog Grandpa
One day Mama Wiggle said, "It’s such a beautiful day. Why don't we all get in the van and go to Grandma and Grandpa Wiggle's house. We’ll take a picnic lunch and have a great time!" Papa got the van ready while Sister packed a picnic lunch. Mother got the baby, and Brother got the cat and dog. Soon Mother, Father, and Baby were in the front of the van, and Sister and Brother, the cat and the dog were in the back of the van and they were on their way to Grandma and Grandpa Wiggle’s house.
"Oh, no," said Sister, "I forgot the picnic lunch!"
So Mama told Papa to stop the van. They turned around and drove back to their house to get the picnic lunch. Sister ran back to the house while the others sat in the van.
Just then the dog started barking and scared the cat who jumped out of the van. Brother had to chase the cat and bring her back to the van. The Baby got so upset, he just cried and cried.
Finally, Mama, Papa, Sister, Brother, Baby, the dog, and cat were all back in the van and were on their way to Grandma and Grandpa's house.
When they arrived at Grandma and Grandpa’s house everyone was so happy! The cat and dog jumped out of the van first, followed by Brother and Sister.
Mother, Father, and Baby got out of the van last.
They spread a blanket under a large tree and put out the picnic lunch. And, oh, what a feast it was! They had sandwiches, and fried chicken, and cupcakes and fruit. After lunch Grandpa, Grandma, Mother, Father, and the Baby fell asleep and took a nap. Brother and Sister chased the cat and dog around and played hide and go seek.
It started to get dark, so Grandpa and Grandma gave Mother, Father, Baby, Sister and Brother a big hug good-bye.
They all hopped in the van with the cat and the dog and set off towards their home.
What a special day it had been!
•Click here to download the pdf file for the Wiggle Family.
THE GREAT, BIG, ENORMOUS TURNIP
Participation Story
Directions: Select children to play the different characters in the
story. You will need: grandpa, grandma, granddaughter, dog, cat, mouse.
Have them act the story out as you read it. The remainder of the class
can join in on the chorus.
Once there was a grandpa who planted a wonderful vegetable garden. He grew corn, beans, peas, tomatoes, carrots, and many, many vegetables. But his prize plant was his turnips. He grew the biggest turnips in the whole county!
One fine summer morning he decided to pull up one of those turnips for dinner. So he looked around until he found a great, big, enormous turnips. He grabbed on to the stem and…
CHORUS: He pulled and pulled left. (Pretend to pull left.)
He pulled and pulled right. (Pretend to pull right.)
He pulled and pulled (Pull from the front.)
With strength and might,
But he couldn’t pull up the turnip.(Shake head.)
So grandpa went and got grandma. Grandpa pulled the turnip, grandma pulled grandpa and….CHORUS (Adapt to “They pulled…”)
So grandma went and got the granddaughter. Grandpa pulled the turnip, grandma pulled grandpa, the granddaughter pulled grandma and…CHORUS.
So the granddaughter went and got the dog. Grandpa pulled the turnip, grandma pulled grandpa, the granddaughter pulled grandma, the dog pulled the granddaughter and…CHORUS.
So the dog went and got the cat. Grandpa pulled the turnip, grandma pulled grandpa, the granddaughter pulled grandma, the dog pulled the granddaughter, the cat pulled the dog and…CHORUS.
Just then a little mouse happened to walk by. “What ya’ doin’?” asked the mouse. “We’re trying to pull up this great, big, enormous turnip,” they all said. “Can I help you?” asked the mouse. “Oh, you’re too small,” they all replied. “Well, let me try. I think I can help you do it,” said the mouse.
So grandpa pulled the turnip, grandma pulled grandpa, the granddaughter pulled grandma, the dog pulled the granddaughter, the cat pulled the dog, the mouse pulled the cat and…
They pulled and pulled left.
They pulled and pulled right.
They pulled and pulled
With strength and might,
And POP!
Up came the turnip.
And the little mouse said, “I told you so!”
THREE LITTLE PIGS
Story Bracelet
Materials: pipe cleaner, 3 pink, 1 yellow, 1 brown, 1 red, 1 black bead, 1 blue bead per bracelet
Directions: As you tell the traditional story of the “Three Pigs” add beads to the pipe cleaner. Twist the ends of the pipe cleaner to make a bracelet and encourage children to use it to retell the story.
•Click here to download the pdf file for the story bracelet.
Once upon a time there were three little pigs. (Add 3 pink beads.)
The first little pig built his house of straw. (Add the yellow bead.)
The second little pig built his house of sticks. (Add the brown bead.)
The third little pig was very hardworking. He built his house of bricks. (Add the red bead.)
One day the big, bad wolf happened to be walking by the house of the first. (Add the black bead.) He was feeling very hungry, so he stopped and knocked on the straw house (touch the yellow bead) and said, “Little pig, little pig, let me come in.” The little pig replied, “Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin.” “Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house in,” said the wolf. So he huffed and he puffed and he blew in the first little pig’s house of straw. But before the wolf could catch the first little pig, he ran to the house of the second little pig.
The wolf went to the stick house of the second little pig (touch the brown bead) and knocked on the door. “Little pig, little pig let me come in.” “Not by the hair of our chinny chin chins,” said the first and second little pigs. “Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in,” said the wolf. So he huffed and he puffed and he blew in the second little pig’s house of sticks. But before that wolf could catch those little pigs, then ran to the house of the third little pig.
The wolf went to the brick house (touch the red bead) of the third little pig and knocked on the door. “Little pig, little pig let me come in,” said the wolf. “Not by the hair of our chinny chin chins,” cried the three little pigs.
“Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house in!” So he huffed and he puffed and he huffed and he puffed. But he could not blow down that house of bricks. Now the wolf had an idea. “I think I’ll climb on the roof and go down the chimney and catch those little pigs.”
But those little pigs were very wise about the ways of wolves. They got a big pot and filled it with water and put it in the fireplace. (Add the blue bead.) Then they started a big fire around the pot. About the time the water started to boil the wolf came 
down the chimney. “YEOW!” cried the wolf when he hit that pot of boiling water. He jumped so hard he flew right out of that chimney.
The big, bad wolf learned his lesson that day and never bothered those three little pigs again.
Here’s a song to the tune of “Three Blind Mice.”
Three pink pigs. Three pink pigs.
See their ears. See their chins.
The big, bad wolf said, “Let me come in.
“Not by the hair of our chinny, chin, chins.”
So he huffed and he puffed til’ he
blew their house in.
Three pink pigs. Three pink pigs.
ROOM FOR ONE MORE!
Rainy Day Story
Materials: large umbrella
Directions: Begin this story by sitting in a chair holding a closed umbrella. Each time a character joins the story, make the umbrella go up a bit.
The umbrella should be fully opened when the bear crawls in. Then when the ant comes quickly close the umbrella with a POP!
Once there was a little mouse who lived in the forest. One day it start to rain, so he ran and hid under a mushroom. It was just the right size for a little mouse – a perfect umbrella.
Soon a frog hopped by. “Say, may I please join you?” asked the frog politely. “I suppose there’s always room for one more,” answered the mouse. So the mouse moved over and made room for the frog and the mushroom grew a little.
Next along cam a little bird. “Please, do you think you could let me in under the mushroom? I’m getting awfully wet out here,” said the little bird.
“Well, we’ll squeeze in a little. There’s always room for one more,” replied the mouse. The mushroom grew a little more.
It wasn’t long before a little squirrel came scampering by. “Please, may I come in with you? I do hate to get my bushy tail wet,” asked the squirrel. “There’s always room for one more,” answered the mouse. And the mushroom grew a little more.
Along hopped a little rabbit. The other animals looked so cozy huddled together under the mushroom that the rabbit asked, “May I join you, please?” “There’s always room for one more,” said the mouse as the mushroom grew even bigger.
Next a fox came by. “I’m so wet and cold,” said the fox. “May I please join you under the mushroom?” “Always room for one more,” said the mouse as the other animals squeezed in tighter and the mushroom grew just a little bigger.
Finally a big bear came along. “Please, please, may I come in out of the rain with you?” begged the bear. “Oh, dear,” thought the mouse. “Well, there’s always room for one more. Come on in.” The animals all huddled in closer and the mushroom grew as big as it could.
Just then a little ant crawled by. Without so much as a “please” or “thank you” that little ant tried to join the others under the mushroom. That little ant just pushed and shoved until POP! The mushroom burst into a million pieces. And what do you think happened then? That’s right! All the animals had to scurry and find another place to stay dry!
•Give children long strips of paper and let them draw a time line of the sequence of the animals that got under the mushroom.