I love limberjacks. You know, the wooden jointed dolls that dance on boards. Also known as jig dolls. And I love telling stories to children, so—ta dah! I combined the two together and created my own story titled, “The Dog Who Wanted to Dance.”
Children enjoy this story about a dog who pretty much is tired of doing doggy things, like chasing squirrels, playing with tennis balls, fetching bedroom slippers. Come to think of it who really wants to fetch a pair of stinky old bedroom slippers?
So, the dog decides she wants to learn how to do something different. Want to take a guess what it is? She wants to learn how to dance! And, of course, she does.
The ending is quite satisfying, but it gets better. At the end of the story when they discover the dog learns how to dance, I ask the children, “Would you like to see the dog dance?” The hands fly up. Then I tell them I have her with me today and ask them if they would like to meet her. A collective “Yeah!” echoes around the room.
And I’m in my glory because, boy oh boy, do I have a surprise for them!
I pull out the dog jig doll and my board, then turn on my peppy banjo music. The dog dances and dances. She bounces. She flips. Her ears spin round. Laughter fills the room, the children clap to the beat, and their eyes are glued to the dancing dog. I have captivated my audience. (Oh, okay. The dancing dog did.) I love it!
You might think this storytelling session couldn’t get any better, but it does. We talk about the story. Children tell me their favorite parts, what their mental images were, the sequence of events, any predictions they had.
And then … I share my collection of jig dolls with the children and ask if they would like to play with them! Wouldn’t you? Just imagine what it’s like to have group of kids with jig dolls and boards in their hands! Those dolls dance like crazy! Sometimes a leg will fly off, but that’s okay. It’s an easy fix. And I can guarantee the children will be telling stories to their friends and families that day.
Storytelling opens up doors for children whether you have jig dolls or not. Maybe you have puppets or cutouts or drawings. Props make stories fun. Children are engaging in the same skills they use in reading when listening to stories. Their brains are engaged in the same activities. They’re listening and having fun. Props or no props.
So, open up a door for a child and “jig your way” into telling a great story. You’ll have fun too!
http://www.ednawaidellcravitz.com/a-jig-and-a-story/