Reading: Ages 4-6

Surprise Story Box

 

            Today's Snack: Microwave a piece of bacon and, while it is just cooled off enough to handle without burning your fingers, wrap it around a cube of cheddar cheese. Hold it so that, as it hardens and dries, it wraps around the cheese all by itself. You could call this a "surprise bacon-cheese bite," because you can't really see the cheese inside when you bite into it. Enjoy with the taste of a beverage that's no surprise is everybody's favorite - apple juice.

 

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Supplies:

Box of miscellaneous items, one for each child in the group

Piece of paper for each child | a pen for you | Colored markers for the students

 

 

This group activity can be hilarious, but it can also be a challenge. Make sure there are enough objects for each child to pick one, but have a few extras in there in case a child gets stumped.

 

You are going to tell a story as a group by pulling objects out of this box at random, and each child will advance the story with a line or two.

 

No one should be able to see in to the box. Students are to pull out items totally by surprise. Ideas for what to put in the box: a toy car, cup, book, hat, can of food, baby item, dollar bill, etc. etc.

 

Start by helping the group choose a main character. Knowing what is in the box, you can tilt things toward productive by starting off with the first line of the story that somehow relates to the items in the box, at least a little. On a piece of paper, write that first line of the story. Leave a little room for an illustration. You can come back later and add that.

 

Then, ask a student to pull out one item from the box. The child must "key" off this item to tell aloud the next line of the story. You write that line on another piece of paper, leaving blank space for an illustration, and give it to the child who just spoke, to illustrate later.

 

Now move throughout the group of children, asking each child to pull out an item form the box, use it to advance the story, and you write that child's addition to the story on a piece of paper and give it to him or her.

 

Finally, when the last child selects an item and adds the last line, he or she should try to wrap up the story and end it in a meaningful way.

 

Expect a lot of laughter, as these stories sometimes come out loopy! But it's a good exercise in creativity.

 

When the story is recorded on separate sheets of paper and each child has one, then they can illustrate their part of the story, using the item that they pulled out of the box as a model.

 

When everyone's through illustrating, assemble the pages, put the new book together, and have each child read aloud their page of the story for all the group to enjoy!