Tapestry of Faith: Chalice Children: A Program about Our Unitarian Universalist Community for Preschoolers

Activity 4: Story

Activity time: 5 minutes

Materials for Activity

  • Story book

Preparation for Activity

  • Choose a story from the following suggestions:
    • Journey by Aaron Becker, 2013. In this picture book, a lonely girl draws a magic door on her bedroom wall and escapes through it into a world where wonder, adventure, and danger abound. Note: If you choose this story, practice ahead of time how you will "read" it to the children, since there is no text.
    • Not a Box by Antoinette Portis, 2006. A box is just a box . . . unless it's not a box. A small rabbit discovers that when your imagination takes over, a cardboard box can be a mountain, a rocket ship, a robot-anything!
    • Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg, 2010. It's OK to make a mistake. In fact, hooray for mistakes! A mistake is an adventure in creativity-a portal of discovery!
    • Press Here by Herve Tullet, 2011. Press the yellow dot on the cover of this book, follow the instructions within, and embark on a magical journey!
  • Review How to Read a Story Book, under Resources in the Introduction.

Description of Activity

Hold up the book and say, in these words or your own:

Here's how I am going to read the story. Does anyone need to move so they can see and hear?

This will help the children move if they need to and then get settled before the story is started so they don't interrupt the reading. It also serves as a reminder that if they stand or sit right in front of the pages, no one else can see. Invite them to find a place to settle so that everyone can see. When all are ready, read the story. When you finish reading, ask if anyone has thoughts about the story that they would like to share.

Including All Participants

Seat a child with hearing or sight difficulties near the reader.