I need some kids puppet show on-liner plot ideas!
February 15, 2016 7:19 AM Subscribe
I am running a meeting for 5-7 year old kids this week where they will be preparing 5 minute puppet shows. We only have 1.5 hours for the meeting, so I need some "seed" plot ideas to give the kids a starting point. So I'm asking you, what is your best one-liner plot idea?
Best answer: Whenever I've done things like this with my scouts we do plot-in-a-bag.
Have each kid come up with two characters (bear, alien, dinosaur, princess, Barack Obama, whatever)
two settings (swamp, castle, school, outer space, etc)
and two actions (singing, running, getting bullied, learning how to swim, etc)
and have them write each one on a slip of paper.
Have three buckets for characters, settings, and actions. (You should also seed the selection with several of your own to make sure it's interesting.)
Each kid selects one or two of each at random and they have to figure it out on their own from there.
This is how I got to hear a story about the Queen of England getting teased for her freckles and missing a flight to Mexico.
posted by phunniemee at 8:06 AM on February 15, 2016 [4 favorites]
Have each kid come up with two characters (bear, alien, dinosaur, princess, Barack Obama, whatever)
two settings (swamp, castle, school, outer space, etc)
and two actions (singing, running, getting bullied, learning how to swim, etc)
and have them write each one on a slip of paper.
Have three buckets for characters, settings, and actions. (You should also seed the selection with several of your own to make sure it's interesting.)
Each kid selects one or two of each at random and they have to figure it out on their own from there.
This is how I got to hear a story about the Queen of England getting teased for her freckles and missing a flight to Mexico.
posted by phunniemee at 8:06 AM on February 15, 2016 [4 favorites]
I work with kindergarteners. These are all from games I have seen them play.
Mommy and daddy are bringing home a cranky baby.
The puppy trainer has many puppies to train, and uh oh, they're not listening!
Dinosaur goes to school.
Superhero must save earth from a bad guy.
The Really Bad Mean Monster has broken into the classroom again and is causing havoc in the classroom and they must capture him.
A teacher teaching naughty kids.
Spaceships. ALL of the spaceships.
Et cetera.
Similarly, the advice above about having them choose transom aspects of the story at random is good advice. You could have them choose a general plot device + a setting and have them go from there. Silly settings will make this all the more entertaining.
posted by Amy93 at 4:53 PM on February 15, 2016
Mommy and daddy are bringing home a cranky baby.
The puppy trainer has many puppies to train, and uh oh, they're not listening!
Dinosaur goes to school.
Superhero must save earth from a bad guy.
The Really Bad Mean Monster has broken into the classroom again and is causing havoc in the classroom and they must capture him.
A teacher teaching naughty kids.
Spaceships. ALL of the spaceships.
Et cetera.
Similarly, the advice above about having them choose transom aspects of the story at random is good advice. You could have them choose a general plot device + a setting and have them go from there. Silly settings will make this all the more entertaining.
posted by Amy93 at 4:53 PM on February 15, 2016
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Puppets teach a cooking show.
Animals start a company.
Visiting the scary house down the block.
The puppet Olympics!
Moving into a new neighborhood.
A visit to the zoo.
What was your last scary dream about?
New superheros.
Visiting the puppet mall.
posted by xingcat at 7:25 AM on February 15, 2016 [1 favorite]