This week in the Burrow during circle time we are telling the story of Goldilocks and the three bears ‘an old classic, nothing new’ I hear you say. Well we are doing things a little differently with story time this week. Instead of the usual reading a book we are telling the story using actions, and some carefully picked toys to use as characters. So we have chosen three different size bears to represent the Daddy bear, Mummy bear, small baby bear and a beautiful golden haired doll to be Goldie! We have been acting out the story with the toys giving lots of expression and using lots of Makaton signs, e.g. closing your hands together like a book and saying “the end.” We will be sticking with this story for a few weeks to enable the children to learn the signs and hopefully use them within their play.
Downstairs in the Burrow we have turned our messy play into the porridge from the story using porridge oats, bowls and spoons to keep the ‘theme’ going, encouraging children to re-inact parts of the story with their own interpretations. There have already been mentions of ‘too hot’ whilst pretending to take a spoon full of porridge from the messy table.
Active story making enables the children to develop lots of skills, for example their language use through their speech but also through signs. For example, ‘too hot’ is learnt in the story but can be used in other situations too. Also, it helps with their social development through play at the messy table pretending to eat with each other and tipping and pouring the oats into each others bowls.
So, if you see or hear your child using actions or words from the story, I have addedthe script that guides us, so you can take the story wherever you go!
The Script:
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Once upon a time (2 hands big circle) there were three (3 fingers) bears who lived in a house (roof hands) in a wood.
There was great big daddy (2 fingers tap 2 fingers twice) bear, middle sized mummy(3 fingers tap left palm twice) bear and teeny weeny baby(rocking arms) bear.
One sunny morning (finger draw sun), mummy bear made 3 bowls of porridge (stirring) and then the bears went for a stroll (walking movement) in the woods.
After a while (‘W’ hands under chin), a little girl called Goldilocks smelled the porridge and wanted to eat it (fingers tap lips twice).
Goldilocks tried daddy bear’s porridge. It was too hot (hand moves away from mouth).
Goldilocks tried mummy bear’s porridge. It was too sweet (rotate finger on tooth corner mouth).
Goldilocks tried baby bear’s porridge. It was just right, so (hands on knees), she ate it all up (fingers tap lips twice).
Next (hands roly poly) Goldilocks spied (binoculars) the bear’s chairs and wanted to sit (overlapped flat palms downwards) in them.
Goldilocks tried daddy bear’s chair. It was too hard (press thumb into palm).
Goldilocks tried mummy bear’s chair. It was too soft (press fingertip once gently into cheek).
Goldilocks tried baby bear’s chair. It was just right. But, crash! The chair broke into tiny pieces. (shake head)
After that (right hand at waist height moving L to R) Goldilocks spied the bear’s beds and wanted to sleep in them (close eyes).
Goldilocks tried daddy bear’s bed. It was too hard.
Goldilocks tried mummy bear’s bed. It was too soft.
Goldilocks tried baby bear’s bed. It was just right and she fell asleep.
Without warning (hands over mouth) the bears came back to their house.
“Who’s (index finger upright v sm circle) been eating my porridge?” growled daddy bear.
“Who’s been eating my porridge?” tutted mummy bear.
“Who’s been eating my porridge?” squeaked baby bear, “And they’ve eaten it all up”
Next the bears saw their chairs.
“Who’s been sitting in my chair?” growled daddy bear.
“Who’s been sitting in my chair?” tutted mummy bear.
“Who’s been sitting in my chair?” squeaked baby bear “And they’ve broken it all to pieces” (shake head)
Next the bears saw their beds.
“Who’s been sleeping in my bed?” growled daddy bear.
“Who’s been sleeping in my bed?” tutted mummy bear.
“Who’s been sleeping in my bed?” squeaked baby bear, “And look (finger from eye), she’s still there!”
Suddenly (hands up fingers splayed) Goldilocks woke up.
She screamed (aghhhhh!), ran down the stairs (running arms) and was never seen (hand above eye looking to distance) in the woods again.
The end.(hands move together to close the story book)
Thank you for reading!
Ezme Brooks.