Sponge Stories

What to do:

Children can retell a popular story, such as “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” using

sponges cut into the shapes of characters.

1. On each sponge, draw or trace the outline of a different story character. The first bear is 6 inches tall, the second bear is 5 inches tall, the third bear is 3 ½ inches tall, and Goldilocks is 4 ½ inches tall.
2. Cut out the story characters.
3. Mix thick tempera paint and pour into the paint trays.
4. Have children dip the sponge story characters into the paint and then print an image on the paper. Some children may wish to portray an entire story, and others may just want to portray some key scenes from a story.
5. After the pictures have dried, the children can add finishing touches to the pictures with crayons or felt-tip markers.
6. Children can dictate a story to you and you can print it under the pictures.

Then these pictures with words can be made into a book. Younger children

may simply enjoy printing shapes with the sponge and may not be interested in

the story sequence.