Get a FREE No-Rehearsals-Needed Christmas and Epiphany Play Script

Oh what blessings and fun we had celebrating the Epiphany.

Mass. A reception. Picking saints for the year. Carols. A blessing of chalk and water so we can continue the Epiphany tradition of chalking our doors... And a partially narrated-partially improvised play.

The play was especially fun this year.

Some local priests asked me if I would lead a play, but, given everyone's Christmastime commitments and other hurdles, doing a traditional pageant with rehearsals was not going to work. Plus, we wanted to include anyone who showed up for the reception and wanted to participate.

So, I wrote a a no-rehearsals-needed script which took the form of a narration that could be used as a base for improvised scenes. Then, I simply laid out costume pieces and simple props in a "backstage" area, invited anyone who wanted to participate to come close to the stage area, and began.

Children and adults alike joined in on stage with quick readings from cue cards and improvised pantomime and dialogue.

The entire audience joined in at times with background pantomime and dialogue as well as song.

And the play was a wonderful success with everyone's good-natured participation.

In case you ever have a need for such a play for your family, classroom, or community, I am sharing a free copy of the narration I wrote for it here. I pray this Christmas and Epiphany Narrated and Improvised Play script can bring you delight.

Have a wonderfully blessed Epiphany!

Big Fish, Small Fish, Be a Fisher of Men { A Liturgical Year Drama Game}

The Feast of St. Andrew, the Apostle is coming up, so it's time to get your St. Andrew Novena prayer aids ready.

It can also be time to connect with your kids by playing another drama game that can tie into Liturgical Year. Today let me share with you a twist on the competitive improv game.

How to Play Big Fish, Small Fish, Be Fishers of Men

The game Big, Fish, Small Fish, Be Fishers of Men requires no props or preparation. You simply need a group of people in a circle.

To play:

1. Sit or stand in a circle. 

2. Tell everyone you are going to teach three cues needed for the game.  For the first, hold your hands very close together with palms facing each other as if you are going to clap and say, "big fish". Ask everyone to repeat your action. Then, turn to the right and pass the phrase and action to the next person who will do the same to the next, until the phrase comes back to you. (Note how your words and action do not match. That is part of the fun of the game. The game requires you to wake your brain up because of the incongruency between saying"big fish" but having your hands close together as if demonstrating the size of a small fish.)

3. For the second cue hold your hands, palms in as if you are going to clap, about chest width apart, and say, "small fish". Have everyone repeat your action. Then, turn to your left and pass the phrase and action along until it circles back to you.

4. For the third cue, act as if you are throwing a net across the circle towards someone and say, "Be a fisher of men." Ask everyone to reply, "Amen." To practice this cue, have the person who you "threw" the net to throw it to someone else saying, "Be a fisher of men," and having everyone else respond, "Amen".

5. Explain that to play, you will pass the "big fish" phrase and action to the right, and the next player has three choices: (1) keep on passing to the right, (2) turn to the left to pass the "small fish" phrase and action, or (3) toss play to someone on the other side of the circle by looking straight at them and throwing a net while saying "Be a fisher of men." If the player chooses to keep passing right, play continues as such until someone says the opposite fish to change the direction of play or until someone casts the net across the circle.

6. At any point, if someone delays too long before passing a cue, gives the wrong action with a phrase, or passes to the wrong direction, that person is out.

To get a visual of the straight up Big Fish, Small Fish drama game that this simple liturgical year adaptation comes from, take a look at this video. 

Then, just remember, that, instead of casting play with the word, "tadpole", in the St. Andrew feast day version, you cast with "be a fisher of men" and everyone responds "Amen". (You may wish to explain that the word we use to end prayers - Amen - means "so be it" and that the word is derived from foreign words that mean to agree with, affirm, emphasize, or approve of what has been said. Thus, in our game, we are thinking about how Jesus called on St. Andrew to be a fisher of men, and how He calls us to follow him and work to save soul, and we are affirming that call.)

What Concepts and Skills Does This Liturgical Year  Drama Game Reinforce?

Because your hands and your words don't match up when you play Big Fish, Small Fish, Be a Fisher of Men, the game makes a fantastic wake-up-the-brain game.

Some skills this game develops are:

• listening & reacting
• concentration
• timing
• following the cues of others.

Of course, it also ties in with the whole concept of St. Andrew being a fisherman that God called to be a fisher of men, which, in turn, lends itself nicely to further discussion and study about how we might become fishers of men.

If you'd like food for thought before chatting with children about being fishers of men, look here:

• 15 Steps to Become Fishers of Men
• Bishop Robert Barron Fishers of Men
• Becoming Who You Are
• God's Guide to Fishing

Begin Your St. Andrew Christmas Novena

Also remember that November 30, the feast of St. Andrew, is the traditional day to begin praying the St. Andrew Christmas Novena. After playing Big Fish, Small Fish, Be a Fisher of Men, consider what your intention might be for this year's Christmas Novena and begin praying it.

The St. Andrew Christmas Novena

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment inn which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires,[here mention your request] through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ and of His blessed Mother. Amen.

Find Other St. Andrew Ideas.

If you would like other ideas for the Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle feast day, click on through:

Get your free printable.

Find many ideas and links.

We humbly implore your majesty, O Lord, that, just as the blessed Apostle Andrew was for your Church a preacher and pastor, so he may be for us a constant intercessor before you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

~Prayer Source: Prayer of the Collect

St. Andrew, Pray for us.

How May I Serve, Your Majesty {A Liturgical Year Drama Game}

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe is coming up.

This feast day is an ideal time to refocus children on Jesus as a servant-king. While doing so, it can be a fun to add a bit of drama to the day by adding a Liturgical Year twist to the popular theater game Greetings, Your Majesty called How May I Serve, Your Majesty.

How to Play How May I Serve, Your Majesty

Playing How May I Serve, Your Majesty is easy and requires no preparation, props, or supplies, unless you wish to give "Your Majesty" a throne (chair) to sit on, a servant symbol to hold (a towel) or a crown to wear (which can made with paper). It can even be played in a minivan if you're on the road (although it is a bit easier to play when everyone knows where everyone else is seated.)

1. Ask one person - "Your Majesty" - to stand or sit facing away from the rest of the family or class.Have another person secretly stand behind "Your Majesty" and say, "How may I serve, Your Majesty?" in a strange or different voice.

2. Ask "Your Majesty" to guess the name of the person who spoke, by replying with an idea for serving others followed by the person's name. For example, "You may secretly do an extra chore today, Luke," or, "You could make a meal or snack for someone, Jack." 

3. Continue play: If "Your Majesty" guessed incorrectly, "Your Majesty" becomes a player and whoever spoke becomes "Your Majesty". 

If "Your Majesty" guessed correctly who spoke, "Your Majesty" stays in the chair and another person secretly comes up and speaks. (Depending on the size of your family or class, predetermine how many turns "Your Majesty" can guess before offering someone else a turn as "Your Majesty". With a small group, I suggest three consecutive turns as a limit. With a larger group, I suggest five.)

What Concepts and Skills Does This Liturgical Year Drama Game Reinforce?

In playing How May I Serve, Your Majesty, children will continually get reinforcement of the idea that we are meant to follow Jesus' example of serving others and will, hopefully, come away with a wide variety of simple ways we can serve others in everyday life (which can make a great tie-in with making an Advent Chain!)

Children will also focus on listening skills, and, of course, play with a variety of vocal elements, which may include:

• Pitch – speaking in a high or low voice.
• Pace – speaking quickly or slowly
• Pause – using purposeful dramatic pauses 
• Tone/Expression – coloring the voice with a mood and intention towards the listener, e.g. happy, sad, worried, etc.
• Volume/Projection – speaking loudly or softly, but always audibly with appropriate projection
• Accent – using a distinctive mode of pronunciation to call to mind a particular nation, locality, or social class
• Emphasis – putting pressure on individual syllables or words to makes them stand out or to change the meaning or feeling behind a word phrase, or sentence.
• Intonation – the rise and fall of the voice
• Articulation – the clear and precise pronunciation of words using lips, teeth, and tongue.

You may wish to chat with children about how, sometimes, just listening intently to another is a great gift of service, while, at other times, listening with a careful ear may help you discern how best to help another.

Likewise, you might also touch upon how developing speaking skills puts you in a position to better engage others as you speak clearly to them about faith.

Pray an Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King

Speech, of course, is also used for prayer. It is a wonderful idea to pair the fun of the How Can I Serve, Your Majesty game with the beauty of traditional prayer. Before or after playing, then, you may wish to consider praying this prayer:

Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ, King

Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before you. We are yours, and yours we wish to be; but to be more surely united with you, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to your Most Sacred Heart.

Many indeed have never known you; many, too, despising your precepts, have rejected you. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to your Sacred Heart.

Be King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken you, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned you; grant that they may quickly return to their Father's house, lest they die of wretchedness and hunger.

Be King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth and the unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd.

Grant, O Lord, to your Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give tranquility of order to all nations; make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: Praise to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to it be glory and honor for ever. Amen.

~Prayer Source: Enchiridion of Indulgences, June 29, 1968

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who piously recite the Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King. A plenary indulgence is granted, if it is recited publicly on the feast of our Lord Jesus Christ, King.

Find Other Christ the King Idea

If you would like other ideas for the Christ the King feast day, click on through:

Get a free printable!

• Last-Minute Ideas for a Christ the King Feast Day Tea

• Celebrating Christ the King Day with Stories, Symbolic Eats, and Starting Our Advent Chain

We so enjoyed celebrating Christ the King with books and symbolic eats.

• A GFCF, Plant-Strong Christ the King Liturgical Tea

Christ is King of Our Hearts, so my baby wore this crown at our simple family tea.

O Lord our God, You alone are the Most Holy King and Ruler of all nations. We pray to You, Lord, in the great expectation of receiving from You, O Divine King, mercy, peace, justice and all good things. Protect, O Lord our King, our families and the land of our birth. Guard us we pray Most Faithful One. Protect us from our enemies and from Your Just Judgment.Forgive us, O Sovereign King, our sins against you.Jesus, You are a King of Mercy.We have deserved Your Just Judgment Have mercy on us, Lord, and forgive us. We trust in Your Great Mercy. O most awe-inspiring King, we bow before You and pray; May Your Reign, Your Kingdom, be recognized on earth. Amen.

5 Picks for Exploring Rumpelstiltskin

{Disclosure:  This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you click on them to make any purchase, we may get a small percentage of your sale at no extra cost to you. We thank you should you choose to support our family this way.} 

Last night, as I was collecting another laundry basketful of books that were due at the library, I found myself smiling at how one free program can inspire hours and hours of fun and learning.

Yes, Dreamtale Puppets and our local library did it again!  

This time, not with a gentle study of Jack and the Beanstalk, but with Rumpelstiltskin.

Now, I admit, Rumpelstiltskin is not my favorite fairytale.  For, in it, a girl promises her first born child to strange little man who does magic in order to save her life and, then, the girl marries the very man who had threatened to kill her -- a greedy king.  Indeed, the story seems filled with more vice than virtue.  

However, it is a "classic" and, thus, invites some exploration.

Explore we did.

First with an introduction to the plot through one picture book.

Then through viewing Dreamtale Puppets creative tabletop retelling of the story...

...and enjoying a post-performance opportunity to get up close and personal with all the puppets.

And, finally, through reading other versions of the story and coming up with our own dramatic play retellings.

The five picture books we chose to explore the story were:



Duffy and the Devil takes a popular play from 19th century Cornwall, which was inspired by the classic tale of Rumpelstiltskin, and puts it into picture book form with fun pen and wash illustrations and an ending that one does not expect (and that made my children laugh!)  True to the time period when this version of tale was dramatized throughout England, the Rumpelstiltskin-like character is portrayed as a devil and there are witches in the story as well.  However, there is very little that is scary about the book since the illustrations are so light-hearted.  I'd say the book is worth a gander for its unique twist if nothing else.

Gorgeous oil paintings in a medieval setting create a feast for children's (and adults' ) eyes in the Caldecott Honor Book Rumpelstiltskin.  The text of the books is well-written and stays true to the 1819 Grimm's version of this classic tale by having Rumpelstiltskin fly off on a wooden spoon at the end.  It was my favorite version of the book to read to my children.


Rumpelstiltskin: The Graphic Novel was Luke's favorite version of the classic tale, becausse it is written in comic-book style with bright, captivating (if trendy) illustrations and plenty of speech bubbles.  

I, personally, found the book less thrilling than he did.  However, I did appreciate the fact that the author tried to smooth out some of the less virtue-filled characteristics of the girl and the king in his retelling.  For, in this version of the classic tale, the girl promises to pay Rumpelstiltskin's price should she ever become queen, but does not know that price is her first-born, and the king keeps Rumpelstiltskin in his palace not due to greed, but due to love.  Plus, the girl shows determination and cleverness as she discovers Rumpelstiltskin's name in order to save her firstborn - a daughter.  The book also contains a glossary, a brief history of the classic tale, discussion questions and writing prompts, making it a good one for academic settings -- but only ones with children who do not frighten easily.  For, to be honest, the character of Rumpelstiltskin in this version is drawn to be quite ominous.


Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter gives a new, happily-ever-after twist to the old Rumpelstiltskin tale.  In it, the girl and the little odd man named Rumpelstiltskin escape the greedy king, get married and have a daughter, only to have the king capture their daughter years later, requiring her to appease his greedy ways.  The daughter, in turn, devises waya to help the poor people living in the king's countryside while also helping the king overcome his greed.  Of course, everyone (except maybe the king's guards with their gnashing teeth who are dismissed near the end of the story) lives happily ever after.

The illustrations in this version are delightful.  The storyline is fresh.  Overall, the plot redeems the vice-ridden classic tale with a strong, virtuou female character and good winning overcoming evil in the king.  I just wish there were not slang phrases in the text, such as "here's the deal" and "that jerk".



The Story of Rumpelstiltskin (Usborne First Stories):  This quick-and-easy book is a basic retelling of the classic tale with simple text and charming illustrations.  Like many other Usborne early readers, each page of The Story of Rumpelstiltskin has a short, large-font line of text at the top of the page, which young readers can likely attack on their own.  Then, it has a large, engaging illustration with two lines of smaller- (but still large-) font text below it.  These final two lines are slightly more challenging to read and can be read by a parent (or by a child who is progressing a bit more with reading).  The book is a quick and easy read with a cute, non-menacing looking Rumpelstiltskin.

Now, I know there are many, many more Rumpelstiltskin-inspired picture books out there. My children and I just moved onto different topics and themes before diving into them.  I'd love to hear about your favorites though in case we revisit this classic tale in the future.

What versions of Rumpelstiltskin do you like the best?  How do you approach classic tales with less-than-redeeming plots? 

Assumption of Mary: No Cake Nor Juice Boxes, Just Some Drama

Yesterday, I wrote about our Assumption of Mary art project.  Today, I wanted to share a little background about how the kids, at but three and four, even know anything about Mary’s Assumption.

Last Saturday night, I realized that I had been remiss in planning a way to celebrate the Assumption of Mary, a Holy Day of Obligation, in a way that would be accessible to Luke and Nina (since, to be honest, Mass alone does very little for them at this point, but provide a way for them to push parental buttons!)  With no related picture book at hand, no Liturgical Tea menu ingredients in the cupboards and no real idea about how to recognize the occasion since doing such things was beyond the scope of my own 70’s and 80’s Catholic upbringing, I thought, simplicity and spontaneity are best.  So, after reading bedtime stories, I asked Luke and Nina if they remembered what day the following day would be.  “Sunday.”  And what do we do on Sundays?  “Go to church.”  And do you know tomorrow is a very special day at church?  “The celebration!” (Luke has been looking forward to a church family day that is coming up in honor of our parish’s 125^th anniversary.)  No, that is next week.  This week we are going to honor someone.  “Jesus?”  No, Jesus’ Mommy.  “Mary?”   Yes.  Let me tell you a story about Mary…

At that point, I began telling the kids a brief story about Mary from when the angel Gabriel came to tell her she was to have Baby Jesus to when she was assumed into Heaven.  To keep the kids engaged, I paused at the parts they already knew from Christmas and Easter time studies so they could co-tell the story.  And, to help with he “joyful obedience” theme I have been trying to stress in our home, I continually emphasized how Mary said, “Yes!”

By the time I got to Mary being assumed into Heaven, Luke was excited and said that since Sunday was to be a celebration, we should make something.  He suggested a cake “to share with everyone there (at church).”  Pleased with his wish to be so generous, but knowing his idea was not one I was ready to follow through on this year, I gently said, “Luke, what a great thought.  I think everyone would like some cake.  But, Mommy is alone with you all this weekend.  I don’t think I can help you make enough cake for everyone, while taking care of you, Nina and Jack, and getting us all ready for church.”  Luke accepted this and began to wonder what else we might offer.  Nina piped up with an idea: We could bring a “juice box to give Mary at the church.”  (Juice boxes are a treat in our home.)  This was sweet, I thought, and doable, but by morning, both Nina and Like had forgotten the idea.

Instead, during our picnic breakfast, as I told Luke, Nina and Jack the Assumption story once again, Luke and Nina decided they wanted to act it out.  “I can be Mary,” Nina offered.  “And, Jack is young Jesus and I am old Jesus,” Luke leapt aboard.  “And who can be the apostles?  And the…” and so the planning began. 

As things unfolded, the planning was a lot more promising than the play ended up being.  The kids decided to skip the beginning and middle of story of Mary, choosing to go straight to the Assumption instead.  (So much for baby Jack’s role in the drama!) 

In need of a tomb, the kids re-named a dinosaur cave of bricks and sticks that they had built a few days earlier “Mary’s tomb”.  Nina stood in this and Luke, as Jesus, came from the heavens (the light post in our yard) to carry her to Heaven, body and soul.  But, being human, and not the real Jesus, he tripped Nina, who fell and began to cry.  So, the dramatic play ended and the three-year-old drama began…

Drama aside, with just a few story tellings and one somewhat failed enactment of the Assumption, Luke and Nina understood enough to create their Assumption Art.  Then, when Daddy got home from drill later that evening, Nina eagerly brought him to the hallway to see their artwork.  Luke followed, happily explaining the story behind it.

Simple?  Perhaps.  Inspired?  Indeed!  Even though my knowledge and preparation for the Assumption was limited, my kiddoes seemed to gain from our experiences.  All things are possible with God!