SOULspace

This is where I had been   https://sites.google.com/site/yokesociety/ An onslaught of pictures follow; so beware...! I created a simple screen for a butterfly puppet dance  Followed by my friend and cohort, who always introduces the day's story and doings to the kids   Then I had kids write out their names and one quality in them they thought was most true This activity was a way to get children to become more self aware and also take some pride in who they are  So they wrote it out on triangular sheets of paper and we mad a Thoranam that we hung across the room Busy, busy, hands and mind, working on their little special note Followed by a story called Little Vinayak, about an elephant with a trunk toooo long Paper envelop puppets to make and show  We also made an Origami mouse Then wound up the day with an Elephant and Mouse story, that children made up on the spot! ...

            Here is my reason for not bringing you stories of my Navarathri. I was telling them!! Got to do both the stories this Navarathri at the same activity centre. Mahishasuramardini, this time was accompanied by some music and a cute introduction with my friend and favourite puppet; Sukhi. You know that makes me wonder why I have never told you about my pal Sukhi...I will surely dedicate one post to him...watch out for it! But the craziness was in preparing a story in 2 days. I had to plan and make my visuals(props) for Ramayana in that time. I tell you it was crazy. Where to begin, and how to make it worth listening to? Most Indian children have all the facts of the story, so I knew it has to be something different and interactive and fun. So we made a bridge! The Vanara Sena or Monkey brigade with their monkey masks( yes I made that too from scratch!), made stones and boulders with newspaper and then constructed a bridge on the oce...

So "Simba the lion learns to roar", was the story for this Saturday. A wonderful time for me and the children. Hand puppets transported us to the jungle. Through this adaptation of a story,of a lion cub who finds his roar only when he faces danger, I tried to make the children more aware of their inner strength. That we can do what we want when the time is right and when we are ready for it! This was followed by a paper lion puppet making session. All in all, a super time for me and my kids. I must thank my nieces here, for totally taking care of my son, who dislikes sharing me with the audience. So my friend(my son!) wants to sit on my lap during the session, or he constantly bombards me with questions, so i am unable to proceed, and don't know whether i am coming or going! Luckily. this time I had help and as he was not there, i could concentrate on the story. The opposite goes for my daughter who gets so thoroughly involved in the story and activity, that I can say sh...