"The Painter and the Elves" by Helen Landalf

Elves Hiding

Beautiful Colors!

Dipping Hands

Today we performed the movement story "The Painter and the Elves."  One night when a painter goes to sleep, she forgets to put the lids on her 

Dipping Elbows

Dipping Bottom

Jog Curved Pathways

Jump Zigzags like Lightning

Polka Dots with Elbows and Knees

paint cans.  Little did she know, some elves would sneak into her room that very night.  This is when the story came to life. The elves dipped their hands in the paint cans and when they pulled them out they were amazed at the beautiful colors.  





After their hands, the elves dipped the rest of their body parts including head, elbows, bottom, and eventually their whole body.  "Let's paint the room and surprise the painter when she wakes up!" one elf exclaimed. 





The elves then painted straight lines, jogged curved lines, and jumped creating zigzag lines like lightning.  Then they moved at a low level, painting the floor with their bellies, backs, sides, and bottom.  They even made polka dots with their elbows and knees.  "Don't forget the ceiling!" one elf shouted as they leaped high into the air flicking paint off of their fingertips. As the sun rose, the elves went back to their hiding places. 








The next morning, the painter couldn't believe her eyes!  Her room was covered in pathways all the colors of the rainbow. "Those naughty elves, I am going to teach them a lesson!"  The painter removed the paint and filled the cans the next night with sticky glue.  When the painter went to bed, the elves quickly stuck their hands in the paint cans but realized they were stuck!  









The painter could see the elves were sorry, so she helped them out and they promised to ask permission before using her paint again.  The End :-)

1st Graders

 At the end of the lesson I asked the students: What do you think the gym would look like if little elves painted pathways during the night?  Students enjoyed using their imaginations to create art.

1st Graders