Materials
several pairs of children's scissors
super-soft playdough (see recipe and ingredients below)
Instructions
1. Set up your dramatic play area to resemble the home of "The Three
Bears." Set a small table with the three sizes of bowls and spoons. Put
out three sizes of chairs and make three "beds" on the floor with
different-sized blankets and pillows.
2. Gather the children into a circle in the dramatic play area and tell the
story of "The Three Bears." If possible, tell the story without using a
book. Use the props when telling the story.
3. You might decide to change the ending of the story a little, perhaps
Goldilocks can admit that she "goofed" so she goes back to the three
bears' house to apologize and offer to help make some more porridge,
repair the chair, and make up the bed again!
4. Change the story in any number of ways to make it more relevant to
the childrens' lives. For example, Goldilocks can be "Brownilocks" or
"Curlylocks," the three bears can live in an apartment or on a farm,
"Goldilocks" can be a boy, and so on. The possibilities are endless!
5. Invite the children to join in saying, "Too big," "too small," or "just right!"
at the appropriate time in the story.
6. Extend the concept of different sizes into other areas of the room, for
example:
* give each child three sizes of playdough chunks
* encourage them to build three sizes of buildings in the block area
* provide three sizes of paper and paintbrushes at the easels
* put out three sizes of puzzles