You will need:
Shoe boxes or large, flat pieces of cardboard for all participants
Play sand
Modeling clay
Blue paper, and scissors
Glue
Toothpicks, three or four for each participant
Color markers
Sealable, plastic sandwich bags, two for each participant

Cut the sides down from one side of each box and fold it under and tape it. (This way the children can fold it back up, put the lid on and take it home as a box).

Cut blue paper into wavy strips for children to use as the river.

Prepare a sandwich bag filled with sand and a sandwich bag filled with modeling clay for each participant. Seal the sandwich bags tightly.

If you wish, print out a copy of the story, "Mussa and Nagib," for all participants to take home.

Invite the children to assemble their own story theaters to take home and share with their families. You can do as much or as little of the work in this session, as long as children can conveniently take home all the pieces to complete their story theaters.

The goal of this activity is to strengthen a child's connection to the story and its messages. They will also take the story theater home and retell the story to their families. If possible, during the session the children will install their blue paper rivers and make the two clay characters. They will have the lump of clay for the rock and a baggie full of sand to pour out at the last minute. They can also add the trees and any other decorations they wish to add at home, or in class if there is time. If there is time, children can begin to tell the story to one another in their own story theaters.

Some children will want to spend a great deal of time decorating their theater while others will be more engaged in the characters or retelling the story. If a child is physically unable to assemble a story theater, you may like to give them clay to form the rocks from the story. They may be able to help other children by making rocks of clay for them.