by Elaine Gallagher

(Grades K – 2) A-1

Plays are organized in three-month periods during the school year.

Among the five plays, there is a variety of difficulty. Choose the plays that are best suited for your students’ English level, so they enjoy the activity. 

1. August – September – October

PLAY TITLE: The Happy Snake

SPECIFIC VOCABULARY: color, eyes, mouth, big, small, ears, head, shoulders, knees, toes, body, circle, four, five, brown, black, green, is, are

SETTING: a park or garden

CHARACTERS:

• Sammy, the snake
• a girl
• a CHORUS: as many students as the teacher wants
• Several other snakes, Sammy’s friends

THE PLAY

SAMMY………….. What a nice, sunny day!

CHORUS………….  What a nice, sunny day!

SEVERAL OTHER SNAKES……. Let’s play, Sammy. Let’s have a race!

SAMMY………….. OK….Let’s see who is the fastest. Ready?

CHORUS………….  Ready? Are we ready?

SAMMY………….. I’ll count to five. Then we can run. One…two…three….four…..five.

CHORUS…………. One…two…three….four…five.

SAMMY………….. GO!

CHORUS…………. GO! GO! GO!

(All the snakes begin to run as if they are in a race. Then they suddenly stop  because they see a girl playing in the park. When they stop, they are in a circle.)

THE GIRL……….. Oh, wow! Look at the cute, little snakes. They are in a circle. They are pretty with colors of green and black. They are small.

CHORUS………….   They are small! They are small.

THE GIRL………..   Hello baby snakes. Do you have names?

SAMMY…………..   My name is Sammy. I am small. You are very big. What are you doing?

CHORUS………….  What are you doing? What are you doing?

THE GIRL………..  I am playing and singing. I am singing a song.  Do you want to sing about the body with me?

SAMMY and OTHER SNAKES……. Yes, yes. We want to sing.

THE GIRL …..How can you hear me if you do not have ears?

SNAKES: We can FEEL your song.

THE GIRL ….. OK…We will sing.

          (She begins to sing, using motions …)

They sing the same song that the girl sang.

THE GIRL ….This is fun! Maybe we can play again tomorrow.

SNAKES….. Yes! Yes! Yes!

CHORUS…………. Yes! Yes! Yes!

SAMMY……… I am  a happy snake…I am happy!

EVERYONE…….Yes, we are happy!

THE END

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2. November – December

PLAY TITLE: A Day for Snow

SPECIFIC VOCABULARY: apple, banana, let’s, cereal, egg, good, milk, triangle, six, seven, no, yes, snow, laughing, bells, fun, ride, all the way, Happy New Year, snowman.   Song: Jingle Bells NOTE: o’er = over

SETTING:

         a house, on a Sunday….

         The sky outside is dark and cloudy.

         It is very cold outside.

         The two girls, Brianna and Cheyenne, are seated at a table, eating breakfast    cereal.

         Mother is in the kitchen with them.

         There is a fireplace and a window in the scenery.

         There is a CLOCK set at 10 a.m.

CHARACTERS

         Narrator, Mother, Father, Brianna, and Cheyenne (sisters)

TEACHER: Because there are only 5 speaking parts in the play, the other students can make sound effects of the wind or snow…

                    OR you can divide the class into several sections. Each section will present the play and the sound effects, so that more students who want a speaking part , can participate.

                    You will need all the words to the song JUNGLE BELLS so you can teach it to the children.

THE PLAY

ACT 1: inside the dining  room

NARRATOR: It is Sunday morning. The family is relaxing. 

MOTHER:It looks like a good day for snow.

                   The 2 girls and mother look out the window.

CHEYENNE: I wish it would snow. I love how snow looks when it covers everything.

BRIANNA:  Me, too. I love to play in the snow.

                   FATHER walks into the room.

FATHER: I will go light a fire in the fireplace. It is getting colder outside.

MOTHER: I am going to the kitchen to begin to prepare chicken soup for dinner.

FATHER: mmm, good…..I LOVE chicken soup.

and he walks out of the room…

CHEYENNE: I have to finish my cereal, milk and banana.

BRIANNA: And I have to finish my egg and eat my apple.

a few minutes go by…..

BRIANNA : I’m done my breakfast now.

CHEYENNE: I’m just about done, too.

THE TWO GIRLS: Let’s go read. / OK//Let’s go get our books.

They go to their backpacks, and each takes out a book. They go back to their chairs and sit quietly, and begin to read.

NARRATOR: Time passes, and lunch is over. It is getting colder and darker, and windier.

 Then the NARRATOR goes to the clock on the wall…and changes the time to show 5:00 p.m.

FATHER:  That was delicious chicken soup, dear.

THE TWO GIRLS: Yes, Mom, it was delicious.

MOTHER:  Thank you. Hot soup tastes so good on a cold day!

CHEYENNE: Look! Look out the window. 

BRIANNA: I see snowflakes! It’s beginning to snow.

                            Tiny, pieces of ripped white paper can be «snowflakes».

MOTHER: Let’s put on our coats, and go out and feel the snowflakes on our tongues.

THE GIRLS: OK, MOM..Great idea!

They put on coats, and go outside. Thye stick out their tongues  and catch snowflakes…. (a few tiny pieces of white paper.)

Cheyenne sticks out her hand and catches a snow flake.

 ACT 2: Outside

CHEYENNE: Look, Mom! I have a snowflake. It looks like a triangle!!!!….

MOTHER:  No, dear, it can’t be a triangle….Triangles have THREE  sides…..Every snowflake has SIX sides…..and every snowflake  is different, even though they all have SIX sides.

BRIANNA: I didn’t know that, Mom.

MOTHER: Let’s go inside now, girls. It’s getting colder.

ACT 3

They walk inside the house.

FATHER: Welcome back inside, my three girls. Was it cold outside?

MOTHER: Yes, and windy…We did catch some snowflakes on our tongues.

                   Time to get ready for bed, Cheyenne and Brianna. You have school tomorrow.

CHEYENNE AND BRIANNA: O.K. Goodnight Mom and Dad. See you tomorrow.

NARRATOR: The girls go to their room. Mother and Father shut off the  lights, and the room is dark.

ACT 4. The lights come on….

NARRATOR: Now it is morning. The family is getting up. Mother is getting breakfast ready. Father is seated, with a cup of coffee. The two girls enter the kitchen in their pajamas. 

BRIANNA: Good morning, mom and dad. I’m hungry.

CHEYENNE: We have to eat so we can gt ready for school.

FATHER: Maybe you should look out the window first.

The two girls walk to the window and look out.

THE 2 GIRLS TOGETHER: WOW! LOOK! “Snow!  Snow! There is snow everywhere!!!! The trees are covered with snow.”    

MOTHER: There is no school today.  The roads are too snowy. You can stay home and play.”

CHEYENNE: Let’s eat breakfast and get dressed so we can go out.

BRIANNA:     O.K.:Let’s make a snowman!

NARRATOR; The girls go out to eat and leave the room, and then go out to play. They make a BIG snowman.  Then they come back into the house. They take off their jackets, hats, mittens, and snow boots.

FATHER:   Girls, in two weeks grandma will be coming for a  visit. I will teach you a song called ‘Jingle Bells’ so you can sing it for your grand mother when she arrives. You will like the song. Mother, sing it with me, please.

 (They will use small bells, ringing them as they sing.)

BRIANNA: This day was so much fun!

CHEYENNE: We loved making the snowman. It was the first one we ever made!

MOTHER: I told you that this would be a good day for snow!

FATHER: Let’s all sing Jingle Bells together to practice for grandma’s visit.

ALL TOGETHER: 

EVERYONE, EVEN THE AUDIENCE: (ringing small bells as they sing..)

As they continue singing, they walk off the stage.

THE END 

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 3. January – February

 PLAY TITLE Loretta, the Ladybug

SPECIFIC VOCABULARY: fly, walk, crawl, ladybug, swim, bug, worm, big, brown, curious, yellow, duck, eating, black

 SETTING: a park

CHARACTERS; Narrator, Loretta the ladybug, Miss Worm, yellow Duck, a small group of children

THE PLAY

NARRATOR:Loretta was a red and black ladybug.  She was a friendly bug. Children played with Loretta, watching her crawl up and down their arms. She was the favorite of the children because she was so friendly.

 Loretta is walking in the park. She is curious. She sees a brown worm.

LORETTA: Hi, Miss Worm. Do you play with the children?

4. March – April

PLAY TITLE: The Cute, Little, Lost, Baby Fish

SPECIFIC VOCABULARY: family, mother, brother, sister, baby, little, he, they, black, green, yellow, white, blue, together, eight gray, fish, turtle, cute, under, on, behind, in, over, swimming, eating, see

SETTING: in the ocean, underwater

CHARACTERS (Put cards around their necks, identifying them.)

• Narrator
• mother fish
• cute, little, lost baby fish
• many brothers and sisters of cute baby fish
• big shark
• green turtle
• star fish
• Miss octopus
• black and yellow fish

THE PLAY

NARRATOR: The shark, the mother fish and all her baby fish are swimming in the blue ocean. The shark is far from them, but he is getting closer.

BIG SHARK: mmmm delicious…Look at all those baby fish. mmmm I am hungry. I love eating baby fish.

MOTHER FISH: Children, run, hide, quickly…a big shark is coming! Hide! Hide!

(All the fish scatter and disappear. The shark swims off alone.)

MOTHER FISH….Come back , babies. The shark has gone.

(The fish begin to swim back to their mother, little by little.)

ALL THE BABY FISH: Mama…mama…We are safe.

NARRATOR: They all swim off together…. Then, in swims the little, lost baby   fish….all alone..

CUTE LITTLE BABY FISH: I am lost. I am all alone. I must look for my family. I have to swim away and find them.

GREEN TURTLE: Hello, cute little baby fish.

CUTE LITTLE BABY FISH: I am lost. Have you seen my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters?”

GREEN TURTLE: No, sorry. I have to go. Bye.

CUTE LITTLE BABY FISH: Here is a yellow star fish, maybe he has seen my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters swimming near here.

STAR FISH: Hi, little fish.

CUTE LITTLE BABY FISH: I’m lost. Have you seen my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters?

STAR FISH: Nope……I saw a clam under the rock. Nothing more. Bye.

CUTE LITTLE BABY FISH: I have to keep looking, over, under, and behind everything.                 

MISS OCTOPUS: Hi…You are cute.

CUTE LITTLE BABY FISH: Thank you, Miss Octopus. I’m lost. Have you seen my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters?

MISS OCTOPUS: Sorry, baby fish…..Maybe this black and yellow fish can help you.  Ask him.

BLACK AND YELLOW FISH:  How are you, Miss Octopus? …..and who is this cute, little, baby fish?

CUTE LITTLE BABY FISH: I’m lost. Have you seen my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters?

BLACK AND YELLOW FISH: I can’t help….sorry….No fish families have swum by in eight hours. Look over near that white rock. Maybe they are hiding there.

MISS OCTOPUS….Bye, baby fish. I have to go now, bye…good luck.

CUTE LITTLE BABY FISH: I miss my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters. What am I going to do? What am I going to do?  I am so lonely.

NARRATOR: The cute, little, lost , baby fish is scared. He feels and hears the water above him moving quickly.

BABY FISH: Listen! What is all that noise ? Why is it getting so dark? Why is the water moving so fast?

 (The little baby fish looks scared. He slowly looks up above him….)

BABY FISH:  Wow!  It is not a big fish!  It is not a big, black octopus.  It is not a big shark to eat me. Wow! Look! Look!  It’s my mother, and my brothers, and my sisters. 

They found me! They found me! Oh, Mother, I am so happy you all found me! Now we are a big, happy family again.

MOTHER FISH: Yes, now we are a big, happy family again.

(They all swim off together,,,,,)

 THE END

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 5. May – June- July

 (Level of English A-1 / A-2)

A MOTHER’S DAY PLAY A Gift for Mama

PLAY TITLE: A Gift for Mama

SPECIFIC VOCABULARY: family, purse, love, dog, boy, girl, sister, brother, gift, three, mother, surprise

 TEACHER:

1. Practice the «th» sound: three, mother, Samantha, brother
2. Narrators can READ their lines from a small card, if necessary.

SETTING: a living room in a home of the characters outside the home in the garden

CHARACTERS: 5 Narrators, Samantha, Timothy, Mother, Junior (a German Shepherd dog) A Chorus (the rest of the students in the class)

 THE PLAY

 NARRATOR 1: It is two weeks before Mother’s Day. Samantha and Tim, her brother, are talking with each other.

SAMANTHA: Mother’s Day will be in two weeks, Tim. What gift can we  give to Mother?

TIM: I don’t  know . Let’s  ask Junior. Hey, Junior, what would Mama like for a gift?

JUNIOR: WOOF, WOOF, WOOF….

SAMANTHA: You are so silly. Dogs don’t talk.

CHORUS: Dogs don’t talk.

TIM: Yes, they do. Junior, what did you say? Tell me again.

JUNIOR: WOOF, WOOF, WOOF….

TIM: See, Samantha…Junior spoke……in dog talk.

SAMANTHA: Yes, but what does it mean? Let’s go ask Mama what she wants for a Mother’s Day gift..

BOTH CHILDREN: MAMA!  MAMA!

CHORUS: MAMA! MAMA!

(Mother walks quickly into the room.)

MOTHER: Is something wrong, Samantha and Timothy?

BOTH CHILDREN: We want to know what gift you want for Mother’s Day.” 

MOTHER: Hmmm………Let me think for a minute. Hmmmmm…… I know what I would like!

BOTH CHILDREN: What? Tell us, please!

CHORUS: Tell us, please!

MOTHER: I would love something that you make with your own hands. 

SAMANTHA: But, like what, Mama.  Give us an idea.

MOTHER: No, you need to decide for yourselves. I like surprises.

NARRATOR 2: Samantha and Tim went outside to sit with Junior and to think.

BOTH CHILDREN: What can we make?  What can we make?”

JUNIOR: WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

NARRATOR 3: The two children, with their dog, Junior, sat, and sat, and thought, and thought.

SAMANTHA: I have a great idea, Tim!

TIM: What is it ?

CHORUS:  Yes, Tim, Tell us. Tell us!

SAMANTHA: Why don’t we make Mama a cute little purse out of paper?

TIM: What will she do with a paper purse?  That’s a silly idea!

SAMANTHA: It will not be just an ordinary purse.  It will be a special purse with a special note inside.

TIM: What kind of a note?

SAMANTHA: A note with the best words a mother wants to hear.

TIM: Mama said that anything made with love is a great gift.

SAMANTHA: We’ll make a paper purse, and put a note inside that we write with gold or silver ink.

TIM: How do we make the purse?

SAMANTHA: I’ll show you. It’s just like making an envelope.

TIM: What will we write on the note?

SAMANTHA: The nicest three words in English…..

TIM: What words?

SAMANTHA: I LOVE YOU.

CHORUS (softly) I OVE YOU. I OVE YOU.

JUNIOR: WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

TIM: Did you listen, Samantha? Junior just barked «I LOVE YOU.»

NARRATOR 4: Tim and Samantha worked quietly. When they were done making the purse, they took a pen with gold ink, and two pieces of paper that they cut into two heart shapes. On one heart Samantha wrote: «I LOVE YOU, MAMA, Love, Samantha”. On the other heart Tim wrote: “I LOVE YOU MAMA, Love, Tim.”

SAMANTHA: Let’s put these away until Mother’s Day, Tim.

TIM: O.K. Samantha.

NARRATOR 5: The two weeks flew quickly. On Mother’s Day, Mother received the little paper purse her children made. She was so happy when she saw the two notes inside.

MOTHER: I love you, too, Samantha and Tim. This is the best gift I could ever receive!

CHORUS: This is the best gift I could ever receive!

JUNIOR: WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!   I LOVE YOU ALL!

TIM:  See….I told you Junior could talk!

EVERYONE: (LAUGHING…)

THE END

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Next: Part 8: Plays for grades 3 – 4