Caps For Sale

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                                                           Caps For Sale

                                                        By Esphyr Slobodkina

 

 

 

                                

       Monkey Story Prop                                                       Adapted version of the Story

 

Concepts and Themes

  • Peddler
  • Ware
  • Checkered
  • Balance
  • Tree-trunk

 

Expanded Core Curriculum Activities

 

Orientation and Mobility

  • Explore the concepts of laterality (left and right), in back, and behind.  Using a hat or cap, have the child place the cap in relation to their body, for each preposition

 

 

Social Interaction

  • Inexpensive caps can be obtained at the paint/hardware store or at the craft store.  Caps can be dyed or painted colors for reenacting the story

 

 

Independent Living Skills

  • Sort laundry

Discuss with the child that the peddler had all of the hats that were the same in a stack.  Talk about how when laundry is sorted, we must do the same.  It is easier to start with smaller pieces of laundry.  Help the child sort all of the socks, underwear, or washcloths into separate piles.  Use a small laundry basket with a child that is not able to make a stack themselves.  Advanced children can make matches among similar items.  This activity also includes science and math skills of sorting and matching.

 

  • Food Preparation: Stackers

Use saltine crackers, peanut butter, jelly, and bananas.  Give the child a plastic knife and crackers.  Spread the first cracker with peanut butter.  Spread jelly on the second cracker, and place banana slices on the third cracker.  Stack the crackers on top of each other.  Top with a plain cracker and eat.

 

 

Recreation & Leisure

  • Collect different caps and hats that are worn during sports and recreation activities: baseball hat, fishing hat, tennis visor, etc.  Have the child identify the hat with the sport

 

  • Give each child two to three hats to put on.  Put on music and have the children move around the room, trying to balance the hats.

 

  • Simon Says or “Monkey Say, Monkey Do”

Discuss that the monkeys in the story were copying actions of the peddler.  Introduce the idiom of “monkey says, monkey do” through a game.  An adult or leader calls out an action, with the rest of the children copying.  Start easy, “touch your head”, depending on the level of the child and progress towards using smaller body parts, neck, wrist, ankle, cheek, chin, or using more complex actions, “touch your shoulder with your ear”. 

Also emphasizes body concepts.

 

 

Career & Vocational Education

  • Collect different caps and hats that are worn during work activities.  Match the hat to the job.

 

 

Assistive Technology

 

 

Visual Efficiency Skills

  • Mirror Play

Use a large freestanding mirror, if possible.  Sit with the child facing a mirror, slightly behind them.  Make a clear distinctive action or facial expression in the mirror (even have fun exaggerating the movement).  Encourage the child to watch and copy the action.  Begin very simply, such as raising an arm, depending on the vision and imitation skills of the child.