Billy Goats Gruff Bridge
What you need
- a row of cushions on the floor as the bridge
- a blanket for the troll to hide under
How to do it
- Tell the story of the three billy goats and the troll under the bridge, or read it together, so the order is fresh.
- Lay a row of cushions across the floor as the bridge, with the green grass on the far side, and crouch beside it under the blanket as the troll.
- Your child crosses as the little goat first, with a tiny trip-trap, then as the middle goat, then as the big goat galloping over with the loudest trip-trap of all.
- Say the troll's lines as each goat crosses and let your child answer with the goat's lines, then swap so they are the troll.
Why it matters
Acting the story out from start to finish keeps its order in mind, and each goat needs a walk and a voice of its own.
What they're learning
- Telling it in order
- Little goat, middle goat, big goat.
- Big and little voices
- A squeaky goat, a gruff goat and a booming one.
- Crossing a soft bridge
- Stepping along cushions that give underfoot.
What to look for
Notice them changing their voice and their steps for each goat without being told.
A tip
Cushions slide on a smooth floor, so lay the bridge on a rug or carpet, and keep the troll's roar more grumpy than frightening.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: you say all the lines and they do the trip-traps
Harder: let them tell the whole story as the narrator while you play all three goats
