Monster in the House!

I LOVE doing MONSTER themes! Is it because I love a good fright or that I relish the opportunity to give children empowerment over their fears. A bit of both I think. My Monster Laptime is always evolving and even metamorphs (is that a word?) into a whole new beast for the month of October. Here is my standard, plain clothes, version of

There is a Great BIG HUGE TreMendoUS HOrRiBlE Monster in my House!

First Lets start with a little monster, a terrible monster, a horrible monster, a monster who was, well, not scary at all, in other words, a terrible monster…


Leonardo, The Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
OPL Link


Do you not have friendly monsters at your house? Do you have some of the scaaarier kind? Let’s get rid of those monsters!


Go Away, Big Green Monster by Edward Emberley
OPL Link
( I have made this little book into one of the funnest, and easiest to make, flannel stories of all time! It’s a complete joy to perform this in Laptime and Storytime. Felt Monster to make - PRINT IN LANDSCAPE, enlarge as needed)













and now whisk off that green face and end just like the book:

"And don't come back unless I say so!"

Whew, chased away that monster!

Hmmm, but sometimes the monster doesn’t look like a monster, sometimes it just ACTS like a monster. Little Bunny Foo Foo by Paul Johnson / Little Rabbit Foo Foo by Michael Rosen

Goon Puppet for the big end reveal

Little Bunny Foo Foo by Paul Johnson
OPL Link
(I heard a storyteller change the fairy’s line a bit and I really like it better: ‘Little Bunny Foo Foo, I don’t like your attitude…’)


Put your fingers up in the air like rabbit ears and let’s do all the actions!
(Really ham this one up as no matter HOW many times Little Bunny Foo Foo is told by the good fairy the he needs to behave, he STILL keeps doing what he should not be doing! Funny, I think I’ve got a little rabbit foo foo at MY house! You’ve got to finish the story with the moral of the story: Hare today, Goon tomorrow. After all, the parents have to have some fun at Laptime too after all!)

I see something, something big, something huge, something monstrously large… Let’s see what they could be, and just maybe, let’s see if you’ve know any of these monsters already…


We’re going on a Dinomonster Hunt!
(I have drawings of a 'close relative', at least in the looks department, of these dinos, ie; yellingdactyl - pterodactyl etc. I found this idea in a copyshop’s files. I’ve not been able to track down any name or source to credit with this idea I’ve adopted. If you know, do let me know! ALSO... you will really want to abridge this if you've got a very young crowd)

Oh, first, who do we have… we have oh, could it be…


A Stingystegosaurus

Wow, this dino thinks he is the most important dinosaur in the world. He always wants everything and will never ever share. Why Stingystegosaurus is so mean he won’t even say thank you. As a matter of fact I don’t think I’ve ever heard him say much more than ‘I want it, I wantit, I WANTITNOW’! He is no fun to play with either; he only ever wants to play his favorite games, never what anyone else likes at all. Have you seen this monster roaming around?

I spy, oh be careful…

It’s an Angryosaurus!

This one is okay to be around if it’s in a good mood, but watch out if he gets angry or pouts, he can get pretty scary then. Just the littlest things will set this dinomonster off, things like when he thinks his mother is picking on him, or making him actually clean his room before he can go out and play! The angryosaurus doesn’t ever have much fun, he’s too busy complaining. Do you know this dinosaur monster? Have you seen him?

Oh, dear… I see another dinomonster...

It’s the Tattleochtodon

Better known as the Whineosaurus, this dinomonster is always pulling on her mother’s sleeve trying to tell her all about how all the other dinos are misbehaving or getting into trouble, they won’t share, they are calling me names, he hit me, or just telling everyone around how no one wants to play with her. Well, no wonder. Do you know a Tattleochtodon?

Duck everyone! There she goes, oh, now she’s gone again, but you can still hear her for miles and miles it’s the…

Yellingdactyl!

You almost always know where a yellingdactyl is, she flies in and out and in and out, around and around, always yelling. It’s easy to find this dinomonster, never a quiet moment, well until she gets in trouble. A yellingdactyl is known for it’s ability to wreck havoc on fragile lamps and other breakables that it bumps when it’s flying around and not paying attention to where it’s going.

Oh, what,
(someone is tugging on your sleeve for your attention)
please wait. Yes, I know, but it’s just not your turn yet. Hm? You don’t care whose turn it is? Oh folks, we have a slight interruption. I think we have found the…

But-inbrontosaurus

I better hurry and tell you about this dino, he tends to interrupt a lot. Whenever this bronto’s parents are on the phone, it’s just too much, this monster insists on butting in and talking so loud that no one else can be heard. It’s been known to take over whole conversations. You know, tt makes you wish that but-inbrontosaurus would just butt out.

Excuse me, please, I know you had to wait, but…. what, why, I never…Here we go, yet another terrible dinomonster, here, let me introduce you to…

Rudeosaurus Rex

This guy always wants to be the center of attention. A lot like our last dinomonster. The Rudeosaurus Rex never asks for permission, never says please or thank you. As a matter of fact, rudeosaurus pushes and shoves. He even burps real loud and he thinks it’s funny. There are no manners to be found in this monster. He better be careful or he will find that he has no friends at all. Have you seen Rudeosaurus Rex around your house?

Shhh, be careful what you say around our next dinomonster, this is the…

Poutasaurus

The poutasuarus gets her feelings hurt at every turn. She feels bad because she thinks she can’t draw very well. She is always discouraged and blue about something. No fun to be around at all. Poor poutasaurus, she’s not looking too well, such a sad frowning face she has. I don’t think she is ever happy. Have you seen a poutasaurus?

Hmm, where could this next dinomonster be? I wonder where she is? Hmm, must be running late again. Oh, finally, here she is…

Oh, dear, it’s Pokeyceratops

What a slowpoke! Always late, always making people wait. Pokeyceratops is so slow that she is always behind. She likes to sleep late, ‘just one more minute mom, please’. She is the last one to breakfast, the last one out the door, and even then, she has to go back in while everyone waits because she forgot to brush her teeth. Poor pkeyceratops, we almost missed her on our hunt she was so slow.

Wow, what a sorry lot of dinomonsters today! Oh, look, there’s one last one, oh this one does not look like the others at all. Wow, this one is looking pretty good, I don’t know that I can even call it a monster, this one is, well too happy…


It’s a Happyosaurus!

Wow, this is the best dinosaur anyone could possibly meet. This Happyosaurus has the biggest smile I’ve ever seen, never greedy, always courteous and sociable. This is the kind of dino you want for a friend. Even when this dino is happy and loud, Happyosaurus is always thinking of others that are around, never whiny never stingy or pouty. The Happyosaurus is so much fun to be with that I think we might just have to keep him around.

(a coloring handout is a great way to keep the Happyosaurus with you all day)



Let's read some stories!


Ticklemonster and Me: A Play-Along Book by Max Haynes
OPL Link

Dinosaurumpus by Tony Mitton

OPL Link

Zrroooooom, zshzsHSHZHSZzhshzshZHSHSZzhhshz. SWOOSH. Beep.

Oh, wow, I think – shhh, I see something, it’s landed, over there, under the tree. Look, over there. Be careful, what is it… uh-oh it’s looking kind of hungry…


Hungry Monster by Phyllis Root
(I really growl and roar as I read Hungry Monster – I just wish the book was bigger. This is a good one to memorize, add a few props and just act out instead of reading. A little note, have you ever eaten a banana peel? You should either try it or just put a dab of Alum on your tongue, same effect – illustrate what I call the ‘banana peel effect’ for your audience as a great humorous tidbit)


Speaking of eating and hungry monsters… let me introduce you to one hungry greedy creepy damsel of the sea – first, I need some fishies. Fishies live in the water, so I need you all to learn fishie talk. Put your pointer finger against your lips, now move your finger up and down while you talk. Practice by going ‘bubble, bubble, bubble’ good job. Now back to our greedy one…


Mrs. Octopus
This altered version of Five Green and Speckled Frogs is thanks to a wonderful volunteer storyteller's daughter - thanks Dorothy and Carly!

Five little fishies swimming in the sea,
Teasing Mrs. Octopus,
~wag finger in a no-no

‘You can’t catch me, you can’t catch me’
~have the audience all join in – in fishie talk

Along comes Mrs. Octopus, quiet as can be…
~I like to build tension here and really draw it out, nice and slow…

And SNAPS that fishie right out the sea!
~if you’ve built a trusting relationship with you can walk among the kids and gently ‘snap’ a pretend fishie from the kids laps

Four little fishies swimming in the sea…
~repeat until…

No more fishies swimming in the sea
Teasing Mrs. Octopus, you can’t catch me, you can’t catch me.
Mrs. Octopus has a full tummy!


I have a Folkmanis octopus puppet, but a wiggling, crawling hand is just as effective



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Sometimes scary stuff is just too much for the more sensitive listeners. If Go Away, Big Green Monster has not been enough to scare away those niggling fears, I know that we are probably over the time limit now, but I want to introduce you to a few more ideas to add a little bit more variety to your Laptime repertoire and to maybe give you a few new avenues to pursue, here are a few things I like to use as alternates to end with…

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When I get scared I like to scare those fears away with a good fit of the giggles!

Ready, set go!

Boom Boom Ain’t it great to be Crazy!

Boom Boom Ain’t it great to be Crazy!
Boom Boom Ain’t it great to be Crazy!
Giddy and foolish the whole day through,
Boom Boom Ain’t it great to be Crazy!
~sing it out loud and get down and crazy when you get ‘giddy and foolish the whole day through’ the sillier you, as the adult, are, the better


Now that we are all good and crazy, let the crazy...Banana’s of the world UNITE!


Banana’s of the World Unite
(go into this one right after 'Hungry Monster' by Root)

Form Banana, form form banana
~hands clasped overhead, bend at waist to form a banana
Form Banana, form form banana

Peel Banana, peel peel banana
~arms come down in a peeling banana motion
Peel Banana, peel peel banana

Eat banana, eat eat banana
~eat banana
Eat banana, eat eat banana

Go Bananas, go go bananas
~GO CRAZY!
Go Bananas, go go bananas


So, next time you get all scared, remember that the easiest way to chase away those monsters is to tell them to ‘GO AWAY, and DON’T come back, unless, I SAY SO’ then get a little crazy and a LOT silly!



Bye for now kiddos!

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Additional Ideas...

Riding Around on my Big Blue Dinosaur

Sing to the tune of Bumpin' Up and Down in my Little Red Wagon

Thanks Karin for the inspiration!

Ridin' around on my big blue* din-o-saur

Ridin' around on my big blue din-o-saur

Stomp, stomping around all day

One fell off and his tail is wagging . . .

Danny's gonna join him, whoops he's sliding . . .

Another's off and the kids are laughin' . . .

* Or ...add in color changes as suggested by your audience :)

Flapdoodle Dinosaurs (Pop-up) by David Carter

OPL Link

My Monster Mama Loves Me So by Laura Leuck
OPL Link


Gorilla Gorilla by Jeanne Willis
OPL Link
~ a mama mouse has lost her baby mouse and just when she thinks things can't get worse, along comes a big bellowing gorilla yelling 'STOP!"


Watch Out! Big Bro's Coming! by Jez Alborough
OPL Link

and... remember BILL HARLEY - he does some awesome fun Monster songs and stories on his CD's -

Monsters in the Bathroom from the CD Monsters in the Bathroom / OPL Link

Alicia and the Little Monster (story) and I'm Busy (yes, it's a monster song) both on the CD One More Time  / OPL Link