Three Little Pigs, Part II: Play Acting

Lets kids practice their acting.

Objectives

Children ages 5-6 can act out a story Lang. IIIB
and ages 2 ½-3 can participate in storytelling with words and phrases Lang. IIC
All of the children can participate in role play involving specific situations Cog. IV A
manipulates blocks and building material, and onlooker behavior - child watches play and joins in for a few minutes. SE IV

Materials

Book "The Three Little Pigs"; Props: straw (or a reasonable facsimile); sticks
(Branches or rhythm sticks); bricks (wooden, plastic or Styrofoam blocks); moveable tables and chairs; large blocks; prepared pig and wolf costumes.

Procedures

1. Gather kids on floor wearing pig costumes. Review story, describe action and repeat dialogue as a group. Establish layout of the stage -- areas for straw, stick and brick houses and forest hideout for wolves.

2. Move materials to building sites. Children select their roles and build houses. Brick house should be constructed from a sturdy table that will hold the wolves when they attempt to climb down the chimney. Straw and stick houses should be flimsy and easy to knock down without causing injury to any of the children inside. Large cardboard boxes work well.

3. When houses are finished, piggies hide inside while wolves wait in their forest hideout. Introduce play and players.

4. Narrate the story, beginning with emergence of hungry wolves from forest and their discovery of the piggys' straw house. Applause and cheers for all participants.

5. Rebuild houses and repeat play.

NB: Allow several children to be wolves or to be pig in brick house if that's what they want to be. Be flexible.