Thursday, September 28, 2023
Can you tell that we become giddy Grands
when celebrating the fall season?
Yes! It’s true!
We Twin Cities Grands
love any opportunities this time of year brings
to share all the special moments with our loved ones!
In our last two posts we’ve shared fun ways to salute autumn
with our Littles
(and for us, that’s our sweet grandkids)...
I Spy Fall! activities to do together
at the pumpkin patch and/or apple orchard
and then
a fun cooking activity to enjoy with them, Apple Pizzas!
Today, we’re presenting a story that we love sharing
with the Littles in our lives!
It’s a perfect way to end a day filled with apple fun!
This apple story includes a touch of mystery and a thoughtful message!
For those of you who have never heard it
or don’t know about the secret inside an apple
we can’t wait to share it with you!
When you tell a story (versus reading one)
you connect with your Littles in a deeper way!
While it takes more preparation and it may seem a bit intimidating at first
(after all, you have to really know the story to tell it),
the benefits are well worth the extra time!
Laura will never forget the time
a kindergarten student shouted out these words
as she was telling her class a story
because it’s SO true!
Littles of all ages LOVE when we tell them stories!
So, take a chance and give it a try!
You’ll be glad you did!
Perhaps you’ve been on a visit to an apple orchard with your Little(s)
or you’ve made a fun apple treat together.
This story would be a memorable way to end your time together
or to cuddle up and wind down before quiet time.
Getting Ready to Tell the Story!
Begin by reading the story (provided below) to yourself.
Sometimes, we need to read it a few times to become familiar with the details.
Then we even practice telling it aloud to ourselves,
using our voices in fun ways!
(Your Littles will love this!)
Once you’ve done that and you, yourself, have discovered how the story ends, we suggest that you gather an apple, a knife (and perhaps a cutting board). If you have a pocket in the clothes you are wearing, hide the apple there and then store the knife and board in a bag. (If you don’t have a pocket, hide all three items in the bag.) Keep the bag near you so that you can easily grab the items when needed!
ALSO, if you have a toy horse, pig, cow and cat, you can have those available to use as props as you tell the story (or you could use a picture/photo of each)
If you don’t have these, you could substitute other animals and make them part of the story instead. This story is flexible so you can change the characters to be whatever you wish! The most important thing is to make the story fit your own resources and needs! And, even if you have no character props, no worries! Your Little(s) will still have fun telling the story with you!
All you’ll really need is an apple and your imagination!
The Story!
Are you good at keeping a secret?
We hope so!
Don’t give the surprise ending away until just the right moment…
Read on for more info!
Shhhh!
🤫
A Grand Tip Before You Get Started!
You can personalize this story
by using your own Grand name and your Little’s name!
To demonstrate this, we’ll interject the names Little D and Grammy Laurie
into the script below and highlight each for easy reference!
Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Little D. She was looking for something to do one beautiful fall day, so Grammy Laurie gave her a special job! “I want you to look outside for a little red house with no door and no windows and a star in the middle!” she said!
Little D was very curious! She had never seen a little red house with no windows and no doors and a star inside, so she set off to find one!
Little D was walking down the road when suddenly she saw Mr. Horse. (Hold up a small horse prop if you have one.) Little D asked, “Mr. Horse, Mr. Horse, do you know where I can find a little red house with no windows or doors and a star inside?” Mr. Horse answered, “Neeeeigh-ver heard of it!” and he galloped off!
So Little D kept walking. Next she saw Mrs. Pig! (Hold up the toy pig if you have one.) “Mrs. Pig, Mrs. Pig, do you know where I can find a little red house with no windows or doors and a star inside?” Mrs. Pig answered, “Oink! Never heard of it!” and off she went!
Soon Little D spotted Mr. Cow eating some grass by the side of the road. (Hold up a cow prop.) Little D asked, “Mr. Cow, Mr. Cow, do you know where I can find a little red house with no windows or doors and a star inside?” Mr. Cow answered, “Moooo! Never heard of it!” and he went back to eating his grass.
Little D was beginning to feel sad. Would she ever be able to find this mysterious little red house with no windows or doors and a star inside?
Just when Little D was about to give up and go home to Grammy Laurie, she saw Little Kitten sitting way up high in a beautiful apple tree! (Hold up a cat prop if you have one.). Little D shouted out, “Little Kitten, Little Kitten! Do you know where I can find a little red house with no windows or doors and a star inside?”
Well, Little Kitten peered down at Little D from that big beautiful tree and said, “Why yes!!! Yes, I do!!!” Then suddenly Little Kitten used her tail to knock a large red apple down from the tree! (At this point, pull the big, red apple out of your pocket/bag).
Little D reached out and caught the shiny red apple. She looked at it and looked at it some more, “Little Kitten, are you saying that this apple is a little red house with no windows or doors and a star inside?” Little Kitten answered, “Why yes, yes it is!”
Little D said, “Let’s see… This apple is red! And it has no windows! And it doesn’t have any doors! But does it have a star inside?” Little D wondered, She thanked Little Kitten for helping her and ran to show Grammy Laurie her apple! Grammy Laurie winked at Little D and gave her a hug! Then, together, they cut into the apple and what do you think they found? (At this point in the story you can carefully use the knife to cut the apple in half HORIZONTALLY, making sure that no little fingers are close to your knife!).
Surprise!
Do You See the star?
Tips for Telling the Story to Your Littles!
Once you’ve practiced telling the story and have all your props ready,
you are ready to snuggle in with your Little(s) as you tell the story!
Here’s our suggestions for keeping them engaged and entertained!
🍎 Begin by asking you Little(s), Have you ever heard the story of “The Little House with No Windows or Doors and a Star Inside”? Together, brainstorm what the house in the story might be! .
🍎 Throughout the story, invite your Littles to predict what might happen next or review what’s happened so far in the story!
🍎 Use a different voice as each character joins the story (a deep voice for Mr. Horse or a squeaky one are for Miss Kitty are possibilities). Your Littles will love this and will want to join you!!
Some Grands just don’t feel comfortable telling a story to your Littles...
We understand!
If this fits you, we have two alternative resources for you to consider
when telling this particular story!.
(1) The book, The Apple Star Adventure by Chris Summerhayes, was published in 2013 and retells the story.
(2) Another option for sharing this story with your Littles would be to watch this Youtube video from Grandma’s Storytime.
You'll probably notice that each of these versions vary.
That happens when a story is retold and actually that's the beauty of telling one!
If you choose to read the book version or watch the video option
you can still show your Littles the star in the apple
by cutting one of your own in half!
Your Littles will love retelling this story over and over again
and will delight in sharing their apple’s magical star and its message with others!
In the past, we’ve shared this story at school
to show students how amazing it is that every apple
holds a star in its core and that’s where the seeds live!
It was a fun addition to our typical apple life cycle unit!
We’ve also used this story to share the powerful message
that apples, like people,
come in different sizes, shapes and colors on the outside.
But, if you look deep within, you’ll find a special star
inside each apple and inside each person you meet!
This message works as an impactful faith story, too…
In fact, Laura has used it in the past as part of a Sunday school lesson!
The story illustrates God’s incredible works in all of creation!
If He placed a star inside each apple,
creating a space where rebirth and growth occurs,
imagine what He has in store for each of us!
How wonderful it was of God
to put that star inside the apple as a way to point us toward Him!
Who knew that we could learn so much from an apple?
As Grands, we have the opportunity
to tell stories to our Littles,
and, when doing so,
we can share life lessons that carry powerful messages
of
faith, compassion, kindness, honesty and more!
What teachable moments these are!
What a blessing for us all!
We’d love to know what you think about this special apple story!
Feel free to comment at the bottom of this post
or email us directly at ourgrandlives@gmail.com.
We'll be back next Tuesday with more ideas to celebrate fall!n
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