Week 9 — Storybook Adventures
A full week of stepping inside our favorite stories. The whole week rides on one flexible move: be someone new — and try another way! We become different characters, use new voices, and wonder "what happens next?" — until Friday, when each child dresses as a favorite storybook character and the whole class parades. A friend from the library visits on Wednesday to read with us. July 27 – July 31 · Bigs classroom, ages 3.5–5.
This guide pairs with the General Planning Guide — that's where the planning principles, the energy arc, and the full executive-function primer live. This Week 9 guide applies them to Storybook Adventures, built around the Bigs (3.5–5) daily schedule. The whole week builds toward Friday's Character Parade, and it practices one flexible move every day — be someone new, and try another way: we step into different characters, try on new voices, and ask "what else could happen?" A friend from the library visits the center on Wednesday for a special story time (an in-house guest — no field trip). This is a full five-day week, July 27–31, with no closures. Start with the prep block just below — the EF lens, the checklist, and the supplies — then run the days.
Week Snapshot
Before You Run the Week
Four things to take in before the day plans: how this guide works, the one skill we're watching for, what to prep, and what to have on hand. Read these first; the five days follow.
How to use this guide. Each day below is the full run-sheet — every block of the Bigs schedule, in order, so you can print a single day and run it from the page. Transition and fixed blocks are kept brief; the active blocks carry the detail.
The 📸 Brightwheel moments are built in. Look for the warm camera callout inside each day — it sits on the block where the photo naturally happens, with the shot to grab and a ready-to-post caption. Children in costume, mid-pretend, and the parade are the summer's most shareable photos, so these lean visual.
One Teacher Move a day. Each day carries a single 🏃 Teacher Move — a quick coaching note on the day's highest-leverage moment. It's the one thing to nail today; the rest of the day supports it.
The week's three threads. A Story Basket (the week's favorite books, added to daily), a Character Corner (a dress-up/props area that grows toward the parade), and the "Another Way" move (at a story's end, "what's another way it could go?"; in pretend, "yes, and…"). These threads make the week cohere and make Friday a celebration instead of a scramble.
About Wednesday's Library Friend. A friend from the library visits the center for a special story time — an in-house guest, no field trip. They read, do voices, and wonder "what happens next?" with us. Confirm the arrival time and a comfy story spot beforehand; the visit slots into Wednesday's late-morning Centers block.
About Friday's Character Parade. No vendor, no field trip, no outside visitors — the parade stays in-house. Each child becomes a favorite character (costume made Thursday), and the class parades the center with a handmade banner while classmates and teachers cheer. It's a celebration, not a performance — a wave or a walk-through counts, and every child is a star.
Printing. Use your browser's Print — each day breaks cleanly onto its own sheet.
This Week's EF Lens — Cognitive Flexibility
Be someone new — and try another way!
Cognitive flexibility is the brain's ability to shift — to switch roles, switch ideas, and see a thing more than one way. A storybook week hands us this on a plate: you step into a character who isn't you, use a new voice, take the wolf's side and the pig's, and wonder "what else could happen?" So the week's throughline, narrated every day, is one flexible move: "Be someone new — and try another way!" Pretend play isn't a break from thinking — for a preschooler it is flexible thinking, practiced at full tilt.
At this age children can hold a role, drop it, and pick up another; they can bend a familiar story ("what if the troll was friendly?") and go along when a friend bends it further ("yes, and then…"). The week is built to stretch that muscle: Monday we re-tell favorite stories and imagine new endings; Tuesday we meet the characters and try their voices; Wednesday we step fully into a role in dramatic play — and the Library Friend models it live; Thursday we choose a character and become them; Friday we parade as someone new. Your job is warm and light: notice it and name it — "you gave the wolf a whole new voice!" — never run "flexibility drills."
Watch for it when a child… (these are the behaviors to name and, if you like, jot down)
- Steps into a different character — a new voice, posture, or role — and stays in it.
- Offers "another way" a story could go, or a playful "what if?" twist.
- Switches roles or ideas when a friend adds to the pretend ("yes, and…") instead of insisting on one way.
- Takes a character's point of view — "how does the wolf feel?" — different from their own.
- Recovers and adapts when the story or the plan changes, trying a new approach.
Before the Week
A little setup makes the whole week run itself. Get these squared away over the weekend or Monday morning — and confirm the Library Friend's Wednesday visit early.
Supplies — Check & Request
Scan this against what's already in the room. Anything you're short on, send the checked list to Amy early — costume and banner materials especially, since those have the longest lead time. Items marked (parent) are family-supplied; on hand means it's already here; Fri means it's needed for the parade.
Furniture & Equipment · order early
- Book basket / low display (the Story Basket)1
- Dress-up rack or bin (Character Corner)1
- Child-safe mirror (try on characters)1
- Puppet theater / low frame (optional)1
- Story-spot rug or cushions (Library Friend)set
Story & Character Materials · the theme
- Favorite picture books (clear characters)6–10
- Puppets / stuffed charactersset
- Dress-up: capes, hats, scarvesset
- Story sequence / picture cardsfew
- "What if?" prompt cards / story-stoneset
- Simple story props (basket, spoon, crown)few
Craft & Costume · the make
- Paper bags / card for masks & vests1/child+
- Felt / construction paper (ears, tails)reams
- Headband strips (character ears)1/child
- Markers / crayons / paintset
- Glue sticks / tape1/child
- Child-safe scissors (supervised)1/child
- Yarn / ribbon (hair, tails, ties)rolls
- Big banner paper / roll (parade)1Fri
Per-Child & Consumables
- "My Storybook" pages (keepsake)1/child
- Character name/label cards (parade)1/child
- Stickers / starsset
- Simple costume from home (optional)parent
Safety & Cleanup
- Water bottles + hydration (parade morning)stock
- Sun hats + sunscreen (morning outdoor)stock
- Smocks (paint / costume make)class set
- First-aid kitcheck
Five Days That Build Toward Friday
A full week that stretches the flexible move — first re-tell favorite stories, then meet the characters, then step fully into a role (with a live model from the Library Friend), then choose and become a character, then parade as someone new. Each day deposits something the parade pulls back out.
The Daily Rhythm
Every day runs the identical clock, and each day plan below carries it in full, block by block. Four blocks are fixed — the two snacks, lunch, and quiet time. Everything else is flex: that's the curriculum.
Five Days, Fully Planned
Each day is the full run-sheet — every block of the Bigs schedule, in order. The 📸 Brightwheel moment and the day's one 🏃 Teacher Move are tucked into the blocks where they happen.
Combined arrival care. All classrooms together — circulate, narrate the quiet play and books, and offer warm welcomes until the Bigs room opens.
Opening Circle — Welcome to Storybook Week!
Kick off the week: this week we climb inside our favorite stories, and we have one big, playful move — be someone new, and try another way! Reveal the Story Basket and read (or picture-walk) one beloved book. Pause at the big moment: "What happens next? … and what's another way it could go?" Take two or three wild ideas and celebrate them all — there's no wrong answer in a "what if." Preview Friday: our Character Parade, where you dress up as a favorite character.
Handwash / bathroom. Sunscreen + hats on at the door before heading out.
Outdoor Play · Act Out a Story — "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" (anchor)
The first big pretend, in the cool morning. Move through a whole story together with your whole body — We're Going on a Bear Hunt is perfect: swish through the grass, splash through the river, squelch through the mud, all as a class. Then bend it — "What if it's a lion hunt? What if we go over the mountain instead of through it?" Let the children re-route the story and act out their new version. The whole game is trying another way and following where a friend takes it. Big movement, big voices; water break halfway.
Materials — open space, a few simple props (a "river" scarf, a "cave" tunnel), the Story Basket book, water & shade, hats.
When a child bends the story — "it's a dragon hunt!" — resist steering back to the book. Say "Yes, AND what does the dragon do?" and build on their idea. Modeling "yes, and…" teaches flexibility better than any prompt: it shows children that ideas can change, combine, and grow, and that their new way is welcome. The more you follow their turns instead of correcting them, the more they'll take the risk of imagining another way.
Fixed
Morning Snack
A calm reset and a big drink of water after the active morning. Chat the table: "What was your favorite part of the hunt? What would YOU add?"
Handwash / bathroom. Into the indoor blocks.
Craft · My Favorite-Story Page
Each child draws their favorite part of a story they love — the character, the big moment — for a class "Story Basket" book we'll add to all week. As they draw, ask the flexible question: "What's one thing you'd change? What's another way it could end?" and let them draw that too. No wrong pictures; the point is holding a story in mind and imagining it a new way.
Materials — paper, markers/crayons, the Story Basket books for reference, stickers.
Music & Movement · Story Songs, Changed Up
Sing a story-song everyone knows (The Wheels on the Bus, Old MacDonald) — then change it together: what if the bus is a rocket? what animal does MacDonald have that no one expects? Children call out swaps and we sing their version. Switching a familiar song on the fly is the day's flexible move, set to music and full of giggles.
Guided Centers · Story Corners
Teacher-shaped centers for re-telling: a felt-board or picture-card story station, a puppet nook, a book corner with the Story Basket, and a "story-stone / what if?" spot. Circulate and wonder aloud: "How does your story go? What if we changed this part?" Watch for children who re-tell in their own words and bend the plot — name it.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
A calm, social meal. Narrate the afternoon to come.
Handwash / bathroom. Before heading back out.
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window — keep it calm)
Peak heat — keep it shaded, still, and light. A cozy story picture-walk in the shade (flip through a book and tell it from the pictures), or quiet play; indoor on a hot day. Save the big pretend for the cool morning. Water available.
Fixed
Quiet Time
Rest, books, soft music. A gentle favorite is a lovely pre-nap read. Bodies rest even if not everyone sleeps.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Slow, gentle transition back; water.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Refuel and rehydrate for the afternoon.
Manipulative · Story Sequence Cards
Lay out picture cards from a familiar tale and put them in order together — beginning, middle, end — then play "what if we start at the end?" and re-tell it backward or scrambled. Ordering a story and then re-ordering it on purpose is sequencing and flexibility at the table. Calm, focused, giggly.
Cleanup & room reset. Everyone helps; sing the cleanup song; tuck the Story Basket books away for tomorrow.
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy up for closing.
Closing Circle
Add today's page to the Story Basket book: "We brought our favorite stories to life!" Recap the magic move: "Be someone new, and try another way!" Plant tomorrow: "Tomorrow we meet the characters — and try on their voices. Who will you be?"
Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Classrooms combine; stay present — circulate, narrate the calm play, and share warm handoffs to parents.
Combined arrival care. Quiet welcome until the Bigs room opens — circulate and play alongside.
Opening Circle — Who's in Our Stories?
Open with recall: "What's our magic move? Be someone new, and try another way!" Then today's focus — the characters. Pull two from the Story Basket (the Big Bad Wolf, a brave little mouse) and wonder together: how do they feel? how do they move? how do they sound? Try a voice as a class — a big growly wolf, a tiny squeaky mouse — and flip between them on your signal. Point to the event of the week: "Tomorrow we become characters, and our Library Friend visits!"
Handwash / bathroom. Sunscreen + hats at the door.
Outdoor Play · Character Charades & Walks (anchor)
Move like the characters, in the cool morning. Call out a character and the class becomes them — stomp like a giant, tiptoe like a mouse, gallop like a brave knight, slither like a snake — then switch on the signal to a brand-new character. Add a charade round: one child (or the coach) acts a character and everyone guesses, then becomes it. The whole game is dropping one role and picking up another, fast and joyfully. Water break halfway; keep it big and silly.
Materials — open space, character picture cards, a few props (a crown, a cape), water & shade, hats.
Flexibility is invisible unless you point at it. When a child flips cleanly from giant to mouse, narrate it: "Whoa — you were a HUGE giant, and just like that you're a tiny mouse. Your brain switched so fast!" Labeling the switch teaches children to notice their own mental gear-change, and it makes the quiet, thoughtful switchers as celebrated as the loud ones. Do it often — it's the whole lesson in one sentence.
Fixed
Morning Snack
A calm reset and water. Ask the table: "Which character was your favorite to be? Can you do their voice?"
Handwash / bathroom. Into the indoor blocks.
Craft · Make a Character Puppet
Each child makes a simple stick or paper-bag puppet of a character they like — a wolf, a princess, a monster, a favorite animal. It goes into the Character Corner and stars in tomorrow's dramatic play. As they build, ask a perspective question: "How does your character feel? What do they say?" Giving a puppet a voice and a mood is stepping into someone else's shoes.
Materials — craft sticks or paper bags, construction paper, markers, googly eyes, yarn, glue, child-safe scissors.
Music & Movement · Voices Song
Sing a call-and-response where each verse is a different character's voice: "If you're a lion, ROAR"; "if you're a mouse, squeak"; "if you're a robot, beep." Children switch their whole voice and body each verse. A loud, joyful rep of trying on — and flipping between — different ways of being.
Guided Centers · Character Play
Teacher-shaped centers: a puppet stage with today's puppets, a dress-up spot in the Character Corner, a "character feelings" matching table, and a small-world story box. Circulate and wonder in role: "Oh no, how does the wolf feel now? What will he do?" Nudge children to take a character and let it change.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
A calm, social meal. Narrate the afternoon to come.
Handwash / bathroom. Before heading back out.
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window — keep it calm)
Peak heat — shaded, still, and light. A quiet puppet chat in the shade (the puppets "talk" to each other), or calm play; indoor on a hot day. Water available.
Fixed
Quiet Time
Rest, books, soft music. Bodies rest even if not everyone sleeps.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Gentle transition back; water.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Refuel and rehydrate.
Manipulative · Who Feels How? (Character Faces)
Match character cards to feeling faces — is the wolf angry, or is he lonely? could the giant be sad? Then play "what if": "What if the grumpy troll was actually shy?" Trying on a surprising feeling for a familiar character stretches perspective and flexibility, calm at the table. There are no wrong matches — just interesting ones.
Cleanup & room reset. Everyone helps; add the new puppets to the Character Corner for tomorrow.
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy up for closing.
Closing Circle
Add a "characters" page to the Story Basket book: "We met the characters and tried their voices!" Recall: "How did we switch from giant to mouse so fast?" Plant tomorrow: "Tomorrow we become characters in our own play — and a friend from the library comes to read with us!"
Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Classrooms combine; stay present, circulate, and warm handoffs to parents.
Combined arrival care. Quiet welcome until the Bigs room opens — a guest is coming today, so the room's a little extra ready.
Opening Circle — Today We Become Characters (and a Friend Visits!)
Big day: today we don't just meet characters — we become them and play out a whole story together. And a friend from the library is visiting to read with us! Recall the magic move, then set up the morning's story: pick a familiar tale (the Three Little Pigs, a class favorite) and assign a few roles to start — knowing we'll switch parts partway through so everyone tries more than one. Remind them how to welcome a guest: kind faces, listening bodies, big story energy.
Handwash / bathroom. Sunscreen + hats at the door.
Outdoor Play · Act Out the Whole Story (anchor)
Full dramatic play, in the cool morning. As a class, act out a whole story with children in roles — the pigs build, the wolf huffs, the houses fall. Play it once through, then switch roles: the wolves become pigs, the pigs become the wolf. Trying the story from a new character's side is the heart of the week — and add a "what if" turn: "What if the wolf just wanted a friend?" and play that version. Loose, joyful, and full of negotiation. Water break halfway.
Materials — simple props (straw/sticks/blocks for houses, a wolf mask), the Character Corner puppets, open space, water & shade, hats.
Halfway through, call a role switch — and gently invite children to try the part they weren't: the shy one as the big wolf, the loud one as the quiet pig. Then wonder together, "How does it feel from over here?" Deliberately switching roles (and points of view) is the strongest flexibility move of the week; you're coaching children to step out of one way of being and into another. Keep it playful and optional — an invitation, never a push.
Fixed
Morning Snack
A calm reset and water. Build the anticipation gently: "Our library friend comes soon — what should we ask them?"
Handwash / bathroom. Into the indoor blocks; tidy the story spot for our guest.
Craft · Story Props & a Question for Our Friend
Make a simple story prop for the Character Corner (a paper crown, a basket, a mask) and — together — a few questions to ask the Library Friend ("What's your favorite story? Do you do the voices?"). Holding a question in mind for a guest is a lovely bit of planning, and the props deepen the pretend. Keep it short so hands are free and calm before the visit.
Materials — paper, card, markers, tape, a chart for the class's questions.
Music & Movement · Settle-In Story Songs
A few favorite story-songs to gather and settle bodies right before the guest — end with a calm one so the class arrives at the story spot regulated and ready. A quick "listening ears" game keeps the energy warm but contained for the visit.
📚 Special Story Time with our Library Friend (the visit)
Our guest reads with the class — doing voices, pausing for "what happens next?", and inviting the children's wild ideas. Let the friend lead; you sit among the children, model great listening, and gently draw the quiet ones in. If there's time, the class asks their questions and shares the magic move: "We've been learning to try another way!" A warm, memorable half hour — exactly the flexible storytelling we've practiced, modeled by a real book-lover.
Materials — the story-spot rug/cushions, the Story Basket, the class's question chart, water for the guest.
This half hour is the week's EF in one place. When a child imagines "another way the story could go," takes a character's side, or rolls with a twist the reader adds, they're practicing cognitive flexibility — the switch-and-adapt skill under problem-solving, getting along, and handling change. Pretend and story play are among the richest ways it grows at this age, and today a real storyteller models it live.
EF Research: sociodramatic and story play predict stronger flexibility and self-regulation in early childhood; children who regularly step into roles and bend narratives show gains in perspective-taking and adapting to change. Google "sociodramatic play cognitive flexibility preschool."
Handwash / bathroom. Thank our guest, then wash up for lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
A happy, social meal — lots of "the wolf voice was so funny!" chatter.
Handwash / bathroom. Before heading back out.
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window — keep it calm)
Peak heat — shaded, still, and light. Retell the guest's story in the shade with the puppets, or quiet play; indoor on a hot day. Water available.
Fixed
Quiet Time
Rest, books, soft music. The book the guest read is a perfect pre-nap re-read.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Gentle transition back; water.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Refuel and rehydrate.
Manipulative · Small-World Story Box
A tray with a few figures and simple scenery — act out a tiny story, then change it: move a character to a new place, give them a new problem, try a new ending. Small-world play lets a child run a whole story their way and bend it freely — flexibility in miniature. Calm and absorbing to close the day.
Cleanup & room reset. Everyone helps; keep the props and puppets in the Character Corner for costume day.
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy up for closing.
Closing Circle
Add a "our library friend" page to the Story Basket book. Recall: "We became characters AND a storyteller visited!" Plant tomorrow: "Tomorrow we make our costumes and choose who we'll be for Friday's parade. Start dreaming: which character will YOU be?"
Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Classrooms combine; stay present, circulate, and warm handoffs to parents.
Combined arrival care. Quiet welcome until the Bigs room opens — circulate and play alongside.
Opening Circle — Choose Your Character!
The big choosing day. Recall the whole week — the stories, the voices, becoming characters — then the exciting question: "Who will YOU be at tomorrow's parade?" Look through the Story Basket and Character Corner for inspiration; it's fine to change your mind (that's flexible thinking!). Explain today's work: make a simple costume, decorate the parade banner, and rehearse the parade. Then a quick round: each child names the character they're leaning toward.
Handwash / bathroom. Sunscreen + hats at the door.
Outdoor Play · Parade Rehearsal & Character Walks (anchor)
Practice the parade, in the cool morning. Walk the parade route together so everyone knows the path, then play character walks: everyone parades as their chosen character — stomp like a giant, flutter like a fairy, chug like a train — and strike a "character freeze" pose when the music stops. Try each other's characters, too, so nobody's locked in. It's a joyful rehearsal that doubles as one more flexibility rep: holding your character and trying a friend's. Water break halfway.
Materials — the parade route, music, any in-progress costumes, water & shade, hats.
Some children will want to switch characters three times today — let them, and praise it: "You started as a lion and now you're a robot? What a flexible thinker!" A changed mind isn't indecision here; it's the very skill we're growing. Keep the costume make open-ended enough that a switch is cheap, and reassure the anxious child that whoever they are tomorrow will be perfect. Your calm "you can always try another way" frees them to play.
Fixed
Morning Snack
A calm reset and water. Chat the table: "What will your character say in the parade? What's their best move?"
Handwash / bathroom. Into the making blocks.
Craft · Make Your Costume (the keepsake)
The signature make: each child builds one simple costume piece for their character — a mask, a cape, ears and a tail, a paper crown. Keep it low-lift and child-led; one great piece is plenty, and it can be worn right over their clothes tomorrow. Write their name and character on a label card for the parade. If a child wants to change characters, that's welcome — hand them fresh materials and cheer the new idea.
Materials — paper bags, felt/construction paper, headband strips, scarves, markers, glue, tape, child-safe scissors, name/character labels.
Music & Movement · Parade Practice March
Put on a lively march and parade the room as characters, practicing staying in a happy line and doing a big "character wave" to the pretend crowd. Add a freeze-and-pose so tomorrow's photos are easy. A joyful dress-rehearsal for the real thing — everyone in character, moving together.
Guided Centers · Finish & Decorate the Banner
Two threads: a costume-finishing table (last touches, help with ties and tape) and the parade banner — the class decorates a big "Storybook Parade" banner with handprints, characters, and stars. Circulate: "Whose character is this? What will your part of the banner say?" Set the banner and costumes by the door, ready for the morning.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
A happy, social meal — lots of "I'm going to be the dragon!" chatter.
Handwash / bathroom. Before heading back out.
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window — keep it calm)
Peak heat — shaded, still, and light. A quiet "practice your character voice" game in the shade, or calm play; indoor on a hot day. Save the marching for the cool morning. Water available.
Fixed
Quiet Time
Rest, books, soft music. A story about a character they love is a lovely pre-nap read.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Gentle transition back; water.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Refuel and rehydrate.
Manipulative · Who Am I? Character Guessing
A calm guessing game: give one clue at a time about a character ("I huff… I puff…") and the group guesses, then acts it. Then flip it — a child gives the clues. Holding a character in mind, revealing it a piece at a time, and switching from guesser to clue-giver is gentle flexibility to close the day. No one's ever "out."
Cleanup & room reset. Everyone helps; hang the banner and set the costumes by the door for the morning parade.
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy up for closing.
Closing Circle
Costumes made, banner hung: "We're ready for the parade!" Recall: "Some of us changed characters — and that's a flexible thinker's superpower." Plant the payoff: "Tomorrow is our Character Parade — wear your costume energy, and we'll all cheer each other on!"
Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Classrooms combine; stay present, circulate, and warm handoffs to parents.
Combined arrival care. Happy parade-day energy building — circulate, narrate the play, and offer warm welcomes until the Bigs room opens.
Opening Circle — Set Up the Parade
A warm, proud circle to frame the day. Look back at the whole week's Story Basket, then set up how the parade works: costumes on, we parade our route with the banner, and we cheer for every character. Read the character labels — "Today we have a wolf, a fairy, a fire truck, a dragon!" Practice a big "character wave." Set the tone: it's a celebration, not a performance — a walk-through or a wave is perfect, and every character is a star.
Handwash / bathroom. Costumes on; sunscreen + hats at the door.
Outdoor Play · The Character Parade (anchor · the payoff)
The big moment, in the cool morning. Costumes on, the class carries the "Storybook Parade" banner and parades the route around the center — everyone in character, doing their character walk and a big wave. Teachers and any classmates lining the route cheer each one by name and character. Take a lap or two, then gather for a story-celebration circle: each child (who wants to) shows their character walk while the class cheers. It's a celebration, not a performance — a wave from the line counts, and every child is a star. In-house — classmates and teachers are the crowd. Water and shade after; Brightwheel photos carry it home.
Materials — costumes, the parade banner, character labels, music, water & shade, hats.
The child in an elaborate costume and the child who is "a very fast cloud" in no costume at all are exactly equal today. Cheer each one by their character name — "Here comes Sir Oliver the brave!" — and give the shy walker the same warm spotlight as the big performer. Your job is to make every child feel their imagination was a triumph. Photograph generously, cheer loudly, and let the day be pure celebration.
Fixed
Morning Snack
A calm snack and a big drink of water after the parade. Let them relive it: "Who did you love cheering for?"
Handwash / bathroom. Into the indoor blocks.
Craft · My Storybook (the keepsake)
While the parade's still glowing, each child fills in a little "My Storybook" — draw the character you became, your favorite story of the week, and "another way" a story could go, with a spot for the parade photo to be added later. A proud keepsake to carry home with the costume. Loose and happy; help with words as they narrate their page.
Materials — "My Storybook" pages, markers/crayons, stickers, glue.
Music & Movement · Character Celebration Dance
A big, joyful free dance — come as your character and dance how they'd dance, then "switch characters" on a call for one more flexible flourish. Pure celebration to cap the week; end with a calm song to settle bodies before lunch.
Guided Centers · Character Corner Free Play
Open the Character Corner and Story Basket for one last happy, child-led play — costumes on, puppets out, favorite books everywhere. Circulate and enjoy it with them; this is the week's world, fully built, handed back to the children to run however they imagine.
Handwash / bathroom. Wash up for lunch.
Fixed
Lunch
A happy, social meal — lots of "did you see my costume?" chatter.
Handwash / bathroom. Before heading back out.
Outdoor Activity / Play (hot window — keep it calm)
Peak heat — shaded, still, and gentle to close the week. Quiet play or a cozy story in the shade if they're up for it — no marching in this window. Water available.
Fixed
Quiet Time
A deep rest after a big, joyful week. Bodies rest even if not everyone sleeps.
Wake-up · handwash / bathroom. Slow, gentle transition back; water.
Fixed
Afternoon Snack
Refuel and rehydrate.
Manipulative · Story Reflection
A calm, glowy table to end the week: line up the Story Basket books and let each child point to their favorite and tell one thing about it, or draw their favorite character one more time. A gentle, low-key wind-down — no new skill, just savoring the stories we lived inside all week.
Cleanup & room reset. Everyone helps pack up the Character Corner; send costumes and "My Storybook" keepsakes home.
Handwash / bathroom. Tidy up for closing.
Closing Circle
A proud goodbye: "What a week of stories — you all became someone new!" One last recall — "What's another way our week could have gone?" — and a wave. Send them off happy with their costumes and storybooks, and let families know next week's adventure — our last — is coming: Kinder Confidence.
Combined Active Engagement — Departure. Classrooms combine; share parade photos and warm handoffs to parents. Stay present and circulate.