This time I have a script for you rather than a book recommendation. This script is for an easy-to-tell sensory story for pancake day. It’s based on the folktale The Little Red Hen.
When telling the story it can be fun to use the names of children or adults who are present for the different characters. I quite enjoy the ‘naughtiness’ of the story with its ‘don’t care’ attitude from the three lazy characters and slightly selfish ending. However you may feel that it is giving the wrong message about behaviour in which case you could change the ending to ‘reform’ the three lazy characters at the end. They could rush around helping to set the table and then share the pancakes and do the washing up afterwards! Or you could have all the characters be animals, as in the original folktale.
Props suggestions for the sensory story: bag or canister of flour, wooden spoon, bowl, frying pan, pancake flipper, lemons, table cloth and ‘pancakes’ cut out of brown felt or cardboard. (If you use something light for your pancakes you can enjoy flipping them without having to worry about injuries!) You could also include smells such as cut lemons and maple syrup.
Pancake Day Story
Freya was cleaning the cupboards in the kitchen.
At the back of the cupboard she found a some left-over of flour. (Give flour canister a shake)
‘Who will help me make pancakes with this flour?’ said Freya.
‘Not I,’ said William.
‘Not I,’ said Ben.
‘I can’t be bothered,’ said Mary.
‘Well,’ said Freya ‘I will do it myself!’
She put the flour in the bowl with eggs and milk.
‘Who will help me mix the batter?’ said Freya.
‘Not I,’ said William.
‘Not I,’ said Ben.
‘I can’t be bothered,’ said Mary.
‘Well,’ said Freya ‘I will do it myself!’ (‘Mix’ noisily using the spoon and bowl, let the children help)
And she did!
‘Who will help me flip the pancakes?’ said Freya.
‘Not I,’ said William.
‘Not I,’ said Ben.
‘I can’t be bothered,’ said Mary.
‘Well,’ said Freya ‘I will do it myself!’
And she did!
She flipped and flopped twenty-seven pancakes! (Mime flipping pancakes, or flip your felt pancakes, let the children help)
‘Who will run down to the shop for some lemons?’ said Freya.
‘Not I,’ said William.
‘Not I,’ said Ben.
‘I can’t be bothered,’ said Mary.
‘Well,’ said Freya ‘I will do it myself!’ (Make fast ‘running’ sounds by tapping hands on knees)
And she did! (If you are using real lemons let the children smell them – being very careful no-one gets lemon juice in their eye)
‘Who will help me lay the table and make it nice?’ said Freya.
‘Not I,’ said William.
‘Not I,’ said Ben.
‘I can’t be bothered,’ said Mary.
‘Well,’ said Freya ‘I will do it myself!’ (Shake out table cloth, let the children help)
And she did!
‘Who will help me to eat the pancakes?’ said Freya.
‘I will,’ said William.
‘I will,’ said Ben.
‘I will,’ said Mary.
‘No you won’t’ said Freya.
‘You watched while I mixed the batter…’
‘You watched while I flipped the pancakes…’
‘You watched while I ran down to the shop for lemons and you watched while I made the table nice…
‘…And now you can watch while I eat the pancakes!’ (Repeat all the actions: mixing, ‘running’, flipping the pancakes, shaking out the cloth – then mime eating the pancakes)
Freya sat down and ate all twenty-seven pancakes, with lemon and sugar sprinkled on top.
‘Delicious’ she said.
Remember – not all of my props recommendations are toys! The props I suggest should not be used by children unsupervised.