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READ My Lips!

 June 22 - June 27

 

There are so many fun ways to share a story. You can use puppets to tell it or write it down as a book. Add illustrations to help people see your world or add lots of pictures and turn it into a graphic novel. Make it big and turn it into a trilogy or smash it tight into a joke. Tell it to your family at dinnertime or act it out by your living room window so the neighbors can see. People film stories and call them movies; they sing them and call them operas; they act them out on stage and call them plays. Our stories are important. Family stories tie us together. Adventure stories help us dream. Fantasy stories make us imagine. All stories can make us grow. This week, find a story, make it yours and then share it to make it a gift for everyone.

 

RESEARCH Read a few books. Find a story to share.

EXPLORE - Is your story about you? An animal? A super hero? What happens? Why does that happen? How will it end? Does it need pictures, sound effects, props, music, lots of paper to write it down?

ACTIVITIES – Make a puppet. Make sound effects. Make popcorn.

DISCOVERY – Do you enjoy coming up with story ideas, drawing the pictures, or reading? When you share your story, do you like making people laugh or cry or both? Is it easy to tell jokes? Do puppets make it easier to be in front of people?

 

Puppetry

puppetPutting on a puppet show is easy. All you need is a story to tell, a puppet or two, a stage, and an audience. The story can be something as simple as your favorite story book, something you did when you were little, a nursery rhyme or a children’s song.  Puppets can be made out of paper lunch bags, a sock missing its mate, your hand, cut-outs taped to a stick, hot pads, wooden spoons, or shadows. There are lots of websites to help you. A puppet stage can be made of PVC pipe and sheets, a large box, a table, a window, or an ironing board. Props help make the magic happen. At the library we use paper, paint stir sticks, leftover yarn, felt, and foam boards for props. Making puppets and props gives you a chance to be very, very creative.

Practice puppetry by having conversations with your hand. Pay attention to when and how you open your mouth when you speak. Have your hand mimic those motions. Your puppet will be more realistic if her mouth moves at the right time.

Usually we don’t suddenly pop into a room *POOF*. Rather, we enter through a door or something. Your puppet would also like to make an entrance. Have him walk up stairs from where he was waiting to where people can see him in the show. Gradual arrivals are best, unless something dramatic is needed and then, POP in!

To get ideas for voices for your puppet, try watching animated cartoons.

Holding your hand up and out for a whole puppet show can be exhausting! Practice holding your arm up; maybe do some pushups to build muscle. Pay attention to your puppet to make sure he doesn’t melt away when your arm gets tired. You can use your other hand to prop up your elbow. The show must go on!

 

Illustrations and Graphic Art

Pictures can add a lot to your story. Pick a character and a moment of the story you want to illustrate. What words in your story give you clues about the setting, the character, the action? Use those clues to make your drawing. Remember that most things are made up of simple shapes- squares, triangles, circles, ovals and rectangles. Start by sketching those simple shapes and then add details. Most illustrators make many versions of the same picture until they make the one they really like. And most artists have their own style. You just need to find yours.

On your paper things close to you are darker, more detailed, lower, and bigger than things farther away. The farther away a forest grows the higher, lighter, and fuzzier the trees are. Just don’t give up! Most adults draw with the skills of a 9-year-old because that is when they start comparing their art to the art of others and give up.  It doesn’t have to be “right” to be art.

A way to practice illustrating is to look at a picture with people in it and then draw what you think happens next. A dinosaur shows up? A volcano? Fairies?

 

Jokes

Some stories are really, really short. We call them jokes. Jokes come in a kaleidoscope of styles. Which ones will you try?

The Knock-knock joke- Who’s there? Boo. Boo who? Don’t cry! It’s just a knock-knock joke.

The obvious joke- What is brown and sticky? A stick.

The 2-part joke- Why did the elephant paint his toenails red? So he could hide in cherry trees.

Have you ever seen an elephant in a cherry tree? Works, doesn’t it?

Observational- Have you ever noticed…. Fill in the blank.

Dad jokes, puns, science teacher jokes- Yes, they can be awful. Laugh anyway.

Slapstick- Physical humor that fills clown routines and old movies. A good excuse to throw pies at each other.

In conclusion, what did the Zero say to the 8? Nice belt.

The first time I heard that joke I fell off my dinosaur and broke my wooden underwear. Ha!   

 

Sounds

Long before television, we found our entertainment, our stories, on the radio. To make the stories more realistic, sound guys would add horse clops to westerns, dragging feet to thrillers, and rustling bushes to sci-fi. One memorable evening, actors and sound guys told a realistic enough story that people believed it! On Halloween night, 1938, Orson Welles led a cast in a telling of The War of the Worlds, a story about aliens coming to Earth. It caused many real problems as people all over America panicked.  ALIENS!

Sounds continue to be important to storytelling. In movies, the sound makers are called Foley artists. They come up with dragon roars, alien’s squelching feet, and all the creaks and movement sounds in a movie. In Disney’s The Lion King, Foley artists used the roars of tigers, not lions, since tigers had the ‘bigger’ sound. When the tiger roars didn’t quite work, the Foley artists themselves roared really loud into garbage cans. Coolest job ever!

Does your story need sound effects? Try some of these tricks or figure out some of your own.

- Gloves sound like birds flapping their wings   

- A stick makes a whooshing sound

- Coconut shells clomped together for horse hooves     

- Cellophane sounds like a fire

- Walnuts dropped in a glass for ice cubes     

- Canned dog food for alien sounds

- Shoes stomped on a board, or in a tub with rocks and dirt, or in mud

*What is the hardest sound for Foley artists to make?

 

Games

Mad Libs are a great way to get creative ideas moving.

Play Start a Story- Someone starts a story, sharing a few sentences. The next person takes over and adds to the story. Keep taking turns until you get to an ending.

Police Sketch Artist- 2 people sit back to back. One has a paper and pencil. The other player describes an object with as much detail as possible but without naming the object. After 2-3 minutes, show the picture and see how close the drawing is. Variation for younger kids- have a picture already drawn for them to look at and then describe to the artist. Having objects written on slips of paper can also make it easier for young kids.

Impromptu Props- Gather an odd assortment of objects from around the house. Divide into teams. Divide the props. Tell or act out a story using the props you have. Just because you have an egg beater, throw pillow, and a lost sock doesn’t mean they have to be uses as such. Be creative and turn your props into something you can use.

Emotion Charades- Write a bunch of different emotions on slips of paper- sad, angry, happy, surprised, eager, frightened, etc. Draw out a slip and using your face and body, help the others guess your emotion.

It’s not really a game but readers make good storytellers.

One Word, Many Ways- Pick a word (No. Love. Dinner. Nap.) Take turns saying it with different inflections. NO! No? Nooooooooooooooooooo! NnnnooOOOO.

People Watching- In a public place, sit quietly and watch people. People do such interesting things. Take turns giving people a backstory. Why are they there today? Where have they been? What do they have to do next? Make sure they all get a good day. They could probably use it!

 

What’s a great story without popcorn?! Did you know that a popcorn kernel can jump three feet in the air?

popcorn 

Popcorn Add-Ons and Mix-ins to Make Plain Popcorn Delicious

Drizzle caramel sauce and toss in shredded cheddar cheese

Add pretzels, peanuts, M&M’s

Add cherry Twizzlers bites, Red Hots, pink sugar

Add banana chips, toasted coconut, dark chocolate chips, dried mango pieces

Add honey graham cereal, mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips

Add parmesan cheese, melted butter, pizza herbs

 

Especially for Preschoolers!

Stand facing each other. One is the leader, the other the follower. The follower will copy the leader’s actions, like looking in a mirror. Take turns leading and following.

Take sidewalk chalk and outline your body. Add features and clothing. Tell stories about your people. Draw them additional props, scenery, or characters.

Make a paper chain to count down to something fun.

 

Submit a Picture or a Message

At the end of the week, send us a picture or a message highlighting your favorite activity. One submission per family per week. Submissions are due by 5:00 pm Saturday, June 27. With your submission, your name will be entered in a drawing for a gift card to a local business. One prize will be awarded each week. Winners will be notified on Mondays.

 

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#PGREADallaboutit

#READtheclouds

PGlibkids@gmail.com

Books to READ 

Click here to put books on hold

Animals: Learn to Draw and Color 26 Wild Creatures Step by Easy Step, Shape by Simple Shape by Diana Fisher J Art Drawing

Crafts from Your Favorite Children’s Songs by Kathy Ross J Crafts

Crafts from Your Favorite Nursery Rhymes by Kathy Ross J Crafts

Crafty Puppets by Tomasina Smith J Crafts

Draw 50 Sharks, Whales, and Other Sea Creatures by Lee J. Ames J Art Drawing

Draw Anything You Like by Robin Lee Makowski J Art Drawing

Drawing and Learning about Monsters by Amy Bailey Muehlenhardt J Art Drawing

Drawing Dinosaurs by Jorge Santillan J Art Drawing

Ed Emberley’s Big Purple Drawing Book by Ed Emberley J Art Drawing

Fairytale Things to Make and Do by Leonie Pratt J Crafts

How to Draw Fairies by David Antram J Art Drawing

How to Draw Heroes and Villains by Ron Zalme J Art Drawing

How to Draw Knights and Castles by Mark Bergin J Art Drawing

How to Draw Pets by Mark Bergin J Art Drawing

How to Draw Pirates by David Antram J Art Drawing

How to Draw Science Fiction by Mark Bergin J Art Drawing

How to Draw Vampires, Zombies, and Other Monsters by Mark Bergin J Art Drawing

Jungle Animals by Ruth Owen J Crafts

Kids Can Draw the Circus by Philippe Legendre J Art Drawing

Learn to Draw Disney/Pixar Toy Story by Disney Storybook Artists J Art Drawing

Making Masks by Violaine Lamerand J Crafts

Masks by Morris Ting J Crafts

Pirates by Rita Storey J Crafts

Ralph Marsiello’s Farm Drawing Book by Ralph Marsiello J Art Drawing

Star Wars Mania: Crafts, Activities, Facts and Fun by Amanda Formaro J Crafts

Superheroes by Ailin Chambers J Art Drawing

What Can You Do with a Paper Bag? by Judith Cressy J Crafts

Websites to Explore

PUPPET SHOWS FOR KIDS - FUNNY PUPPET SHOWS FOR CHILDREN -Violet, My First Guest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31KuNHtN3hM

How to Make a Paper Bag Puppet  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-bMu9lyVu4

Ice Cream Stick Kids Craft - Popsicle Stick Puppets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp1fFlQp9C0

How to Make Sock Puppets  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yn_pzsdhAY

5 Little Monkeys Children's song (sung by Patty Shukla) Print out five monkeys and sing along. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLH-haxmpyI&list=PLLUlgUqVR_0ynFwcv9_TA1DVCs2eDPObJ&index=4&t=0s

DIY PAPER BAG PUPPETS https://www.fun365.orientaltrading.com/article/diy-paper-bag-puppets

 

*The hardest sound for Foley artists to make is anything that has to do with a sword- sword fights, pulling it from the scabbard, making it ring and sound true.