Mouse House or Little Orange House

I always share a version of this cute little story with my kinder kiddos.  You will need a couple of sheets of orange construction paper, scissors, and a copy of the story.


Mouse House/Pumpkin Story

He spotted a pumpkin laying on its side in the field and thought that it would make a good, warm place to live.

(Cut out a half a pumpkin shape so what when you open the paper up it will look like a whole pumpkin. Don’t forget the stem!)

The little mouse nibbled a hole in the pumpkin to get inside where it was warm.

(Tear a small hole out of the paper right in the middle of the fold – this is the nose.)

Once he got inside the little mouse saw that the door he use to get in would be too small for some of his friends to visit, so he nibbled a larger door for them.

(Tear another hole out on the side of the 1st hole that is away from the stem. Make it about halfway between the first hole and what will be the bottom of the pumpkin. Tear this hole taller to make it look like a bigger door. This is the mouth. Remember you are making holes in the fold of the paper.)

Then, the little mouse noticed that it was very dark in his new house so he decided to make a window. He nibbled and nibbled and soon he had a nice window to let in light.

(This hole is not made on the fold. It should be on the side that is closest to the stem and a few inches up from the fold. These are the eyes. Make it about equal distance from the first small whole and the stem.)

He was very proud of his house when it was done and invited all of his friends over to wish them a Happy Halloween.

(Open your pumpkin and the children will see that you have made a jack-o-lantern.)
SECOND VERSION...

Little Witch

Once upon a Halloween, a very tiny little witch was walking through the forest.  The weather was turning colder and the tiny little witch was searching for a home to stay warm in while the icy winds blew.
She came across a piece of orange paper blowing in the wind. 

“Perfect!” said the tiny little witch, “This will make a wonderful home for me!”

And she pulled a tiny little pair of scissors out of her tiny little pockets (for she was a very prudent  little witch and always had her tiny little scissors with her) and she folded the orange paper in half and then cut out a tiny little roof.

The tiny little witch walked in the door of her tiny little house.  It was very dark inside.  “I need to make some tiny little windows” she said.  So, the tiny little witch took her tiny little scissors and cut some tiny little windows in the orange paper house. [cutting through all the layers of the folded paper, make square or circle shaped windows]

Just then, the tiny little witch heard a voice in the wind howling “Booooo! Boooooo! Boooo hoooooo!” It was a tiny little ghost and he was very sad.

“Tiny little ghost, why are you so sad?” asked the tiny little witch.

“Because winter is coming and I have no hooooooome.   Boooo!   Boooo Hoooo!” sobbed the ghost.

“Don’t worry, friend,” said the tiny little witch.  “I will make room for you in my lovely orange paper house.  I will give you your very own ghost-shaped door so that you feel right at home.” And, with that, the tiny little witch cut a small ghost shaped door in the orange paper house. [cut a small triangle in between the door and the windows, on the fold of the paper]

The tiny little ghost went inside his tiny ghost shaped door and the tiny witch went inside her tiny witch shaped door.  The two friends were safe and warm inside the orange paper house.  And they lived happily ever after!  [open up your folded paper and reveal the surprise]

Once there was a little mouse who lived in a field on a pumpkin farm. It was beginning to get colder out as autumn was coming, so he decided to start looking for a home. [fold paper and cut the roof]

“Lovely!” said the tiny little witch, admiring her new home.  “But, I shall need a tiny little door.” And so she took her tiny little scissors and cut a specially shaped tiny little door, just right for a tiny little witch wearing a tiny little witch’s hat. [make a door shaped like a rectangle with a slanting triangle on the top][Fold the paper in half the short way.]