The next time you share the story of the Three Little Pigs, don’t just tell it, have the children be a part of it! These masks are inexpensive and easy to make. And the kiddos have a blast as they step into the story!
Start out with some simple supplies: a toilet paper tube, felt, scissors, glue, a Sharpie, and yarn or elastic string. (Oh, and the hole puncher and pencil were sluffing class when the picture was taken, but they’ll come in handy too.)
For a pig snout, cut the tube so that it’s not quite in half. I would use the piece on the right for the snout. Then trim down the other to match and you’ve got two snouts from one tube. (It works out to about a half-inch strip cut out of the center of the tube.)
Punch holes in each side of the tube to aid in stringing it later. Use your pencil to mark how wide your tube snout is and then roll the tube along to measure how long it is. You’ll end up with one long rectangle to cut out and then glue around the snout, covering the sides (and the holes – don’t worry, we’ll get to those later).
Set the snout down on the felt again and trace around the outside. That extra little bit from the pencil will push the outline out a bit and create a circle that is slightly larger, which is exactly what you want. Cut out the circle and draw on those cute piggie nostrils with your Sharpie. Then glue the circle to the top of your snout. (Be sure to align your nostrils with the holes you punched for your string.)
If you’re using yarn, snip the felt over the holes and thread the yard through, knotting at the holes. So you’ll end up with two yarn strings that can be tied together. If you’re using elastic thread, thread it through a needle and feed it right through the fabric and the hole and knot it at each side, creating a band to be stretched around your child’s head. For the wolf, follow the same directions, but use a full tube.
Enjoy acting out the story with the children you love and teach. After acting out the basics of the story, let them continue the story or create new stories in their dramatic play. Not only is storyacting more engaging, but it builds comprehension and fosters language and literacy skills for our budding readers.
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