Sweep It All Up

Sweep It All Up 

Story, Pattern and Tutorial

This is a classic therapeutic Waldorf story which is great for children who have trouble cleaning up. It's nice and repetitive and suitable for children between 2 - 6

 Story

Three little men had three little hats

three little men together

Red cap, Blue cap and golden cap too

Living in a house together, sharing a house together

They had a broom and it lived in the corner of the room

But they did not know how to use it properly

So there were crumbs crumbs everywhere

All over the table and under the bed

And even under the pillow where they rested their heads!

And the broom would sigh and say "If only they would use me properly, I could clean up the room in a twinkling of an eye"

Now when it was little blue caps turn to sweep he would sing his couldn't be bothered song.

"I couldn't be bothered, i couldn't be bothered, I couldn't be bothered to work, All through the day I would just like to play and sweeping is something I shirk."

So the room was just as messy as it was before - 

there were crumbs crumbs everywhere

All over the table and under the bed

And even under the pillow where they rested their heads!

Now when it was little red caps turn to sweep he would sing his swishity swat song.

"Swishity swat, swishity swat, this little broom goes this way and that!"

 So the room was just as messy as it was before - 

there were crumbs crumbs everywhere

All over the table and under the bed

And even under the pillow where they rested their heads!

Now when it was little red caps turn to sweep he would sing his swishity swat song.

Now one day little gold cap came to visit and he said "This is the messiest house I ever did see!" And he sang his sweep it all up song.

"Sweep it all up, sweep it all up, this little broom will sweep it all up, crumbs in a pile will make me smile, this little broom will sweep it all up."

He swept under the table and under the bed, and even under the pillow where they rested their heads.

And when the room was all tidy, the broom went to sleep in the corner of the room and red cap, blue cap and golden cap sat down for their morning tea.

Tutorial

  

Pattern, you may alter the size depending on how big you want it

1. Make the clay head and body to scale of the 'clay head' and 'clay body' pattern. (I used a light clay so that it was easier to paint)

2. When the clay is still wet, stick half a tooth pick down the middle of the body and the head so that it fits snugly together, leave to dry

3. Once dry, the head should slip off (depending on the type of clay) so you are able to super glue it together. If it doesn't slip off then skip this step.

4. Paint the body white and then paint the skin and face.

5. Cut out the coat and blanket stitch around the outside, then join together around the body and stitch together (you are able to glue it on the body to stop it slipping around)

6. Cut the hat out and blanket stitch  the two long edges together to form a cone, this should slip onto his head nicely (you are also able to glue this on to stop slipping)

7. Do this in the three colours (golden, red and blue), then make the mat, bed out of felt. You are able to make the table and chairs from stones or random household items.

and you are done!