Surprise Pumpkin!

Children love good storytelling!  When the storyteller engages them with facial and voice expression and tailors the story to the young audience, even the most boisterous young children can be found sitting with rapt attention!  Listening to storytelling has much of the same benefits for young children as being read to.  There isn’t the print corrolation, but there is tremendous building of language and listening skills and the concept of story structure.  Here is a fun and engaging storytelling activity perfect for this time of year!  You should practice it and get comfortable with it before “performing” for children.  Let your own creativity take over and change it up any way you like to make it your own story!  I actually heard this story as I was sitting in a library story time with my sons and tweaked it a bit to make it mine.  I’m sure you could put your own spin on it and make it even better!

(Start with an orange piece of construction paper, folded in half and cut as you see above.  The fold is on the bottom.)  There once was a little mouse scurrying about in the forest one Halloween day when he found a huge, enormous piece of cheese!  He decided this gigantic piece of cheese would be perfect for a clubhouse.  So, he nibbled a door just his size.  He nibbled and chewed, and nibbled and chewed.  “Funny tasting cheese” thought Mouse.

(Cut a small opening as above while narrating with “nibbled and chewed,” etc.)  When Mouse finished with his door, he stepped back and saw how perfect it was.  But then, he realized a problem!  His friend, Rabbit, has very tall ears, and would never fit through that mouse-sized door to his clubhouse.  So, he made a taller door for Rabbit.  He nibbled and chewed, and nibbled and chewed.  “Funny tasting cheese,” thought Mouse.

(Cut the next opening with the “nibbled and chewed” part again.  I’ve also let the children choose what kind of animal is the mouse’s friend on subsequent stories, and made the door to match.  A dinosaur gives a great jagged opening!)  Now there was a perfect door for Mouse’s friend, Rabbit.  Mouse climbed inside the clubhouse.  But then he noticed another problem.  It was dark in the clubhouse and he decided he needed a window.  So…

(Poke your scissors through and cut a circle or other shape.  I often have the children try to guess or even suggest the shape I am cutting.)  …He nibble and chewed a hole in the clubhouse just right for a window.  “Funny tasting cheese,” thought Mouse again.  Finally, the clubhouse was ready.  But when Mouse stepped way back to look at his wonderful cheese clubhouse, he realized it wasn’t a giant piece of cheese at all!  It was….(Unfold the paper.)

A Halloween Pumpkin!

This is a great attention-getting activity before reading a pumpkin story or doing a pumpkin song.  (Both of which can be found liked from the Fall Favorites page!)  So share a pumpkin surprise with the children you love and teach today!  They may even want to have their own turns as storyteller!