4th March 2020

It was great to meet again and talk and remember our journey through the BOG over the SEA into the CAVE and up the MOUNTAIN to find our HEART’S DESIRE! We talked about our Heart’s Desire – whether there was something we’d like most in the world that would make us very happy? You can see the children’s answers below.

We did the whole LicketyLeap adventure again ourselves this week but this week we just did it with a white blanket and two red berets!

We pretended to be Happy Margaret and Worried Margaret popping out from behind the curtain to the music – it was very funny! Then we made the blanket into the bog, the sea, under the sea, the cave, the bear, the bird and the mountain!

In the morning Kyra, Tierney and Junior were the Bear and in the afternoon it was Lexi, Dale and Euan. The bears roared but they cried when we shouted ‘Poo Poo Bear!’ and we had to clap them to make them feel better and feed them! Liam, Lujain, Iona and Babecer were the Bird – and spoke Bird! They carried us all up the mountain on their backs! We looked down far below us and we could see everything – the Fishy Lady in her Boat (Ewan and Julie were the Fishy Lady); the Bear, the bird, the bog, the sea…our houses & people we know!

Junior turned into a brilliant Oogly Boogly Lady in the morning! And so did Lexi in the afternoon!

Everyone remembered the story so well – the fish they’d seen, the treasure they’d found, the fish they’d tasted – the hedgehogs some of us found in the burrow and used our cloaks to hold so we didn’t get prickled!

Lots of our families came to join us and see the film and some of us being Margarets and find out about our adventures! Any parents who would like to watch the whole 90min LicketyLeap film with their child in the library can. We will let you know the times next week!

Thank you for coming! We hope to see you Wednesday the 18th March at 1pm for Porridge & Play!

Priary 2 Heart’s Desires

25th February 2020

Miltonbank’s Storyplay Residency started with LicketyLeap for Primary Two.

19 children in two groups leaped into the story with Margaret & Margaret!

We journeyed through the BOG over the SEA into the CAVE and up the MOUNTAIN to find our HEART’S DESIRES! It was an amazing adventure!

At the end Margaret & Margaret flew away in their balloon and a bundle of postcards fell down from the sky – they were for us – thanking us all for going with them to the top of the mountain & being such brave explorers!

The journey took us 90 minutes so there is a lot to tell! We’re hoping parents & carers can come to school this week to see a film of the journey – under the sea, catching fish in Fishy ladies boat & cooking them! Jumping ashore to find fruit trees, rock pool and animals in a hole in the ground! We scrambled up to the cave, we saw the bear and we flew on a giant bird before jumping across a great chasm to the summit and zooming back down. Now we feel we can do anything!

In Storyplay, the only limits are our imagination!

You can see all of our Reflective Drawings on Facebook (some below). You can also read some of what the children said and see some photos below!

Parents & carers of Primary 2, please join us on Wednesday 4th April at 10.15am (Group 1) or 2pm (Group 2) to see the film and some reenactment of the story by the children. You will also get a chance to hear more about why we are doing this high impact project!

12th & 18th September 2019
St Marys Storyplay

We had a lovely LicketyLeap with 9 children from Group 4 (P1a & P1b) and Miss Carty. They were particularly tickled by the Margaret & Margaret Peekaboo entrance. They loved the Oogly Boogly Lady’s mini-worlds and were all actively involved.

The children independently found lots of things under the Sea. On the Boat we had a lovely sleep – suggested by one of the children! On the Shore we saw crabs, seahorses and everyone was so focused on the burrow when the rabbits came out. T – “My bunny kissed me!” They loved finding their hats. L told Bold Margaret about the Bear and was very chatty.

“He was scary and then scared!”

T was the first confidently in their to pat the Bear.

M asked the Bird for a lift up the mountain and M and F both enjoyed the fact that they “spoke Bird”. A huge group of nearly all the children helped Bold Margaret jump to the Top. At the end, L explained what had happened to Worried Margaret exactly – “She was worried then she was brave!”

“[I drew] the wind, the grass, the sky, the balloon, the snow all come down and the big rainfall and the river. At the end was my best bit.”
Child, Reflective Drawing

In Session 2, we revisited the story and everyone remembered it brilliantly. We also talked about our Heart’s Desires and J and N supported T to think about what she could do in the park which was a great moment of cooperation and solidarity. We were thrilled to be joined by 8 parents and carers to watch the film. If you couldn’t make it and would like to see the film, please get in touch with the school to arrange a viewing.

“I’m a nice bear” N

“This is the most J’s talked since he’s been in the school.” Teacher

Hearts Desires

Y – To go to the house and stay there and play with my brother.
J – Go to the park with friends. Play on the slide!
L – Flying in the sky
F – To love my mummy all to myself
N – to fly in the sky
M – to be a mushroom! Cause I like mushroom!
A – To be a mermaid
T – to be a mermaid and to go to the park with friends and play on the seesaw

Parent Feedback

‘‘Amazing performance of our little one, thanks for all great work done guys!‘‘ (Dad)

‘‘She is using more her imagination.‘‘ (Dad)

‘‘Follows instructions and listens with a lot less prom.‘‘ (Mum)

11th & 17th September 2019

We had a fantastic LicketyLeap with 9 children in group 2 (P1b). Every child contributed in the conversation at the start, C was especially chatty! After our mudfight, M suggested we go into the Sea to wash it off. In the Sea, L showed Worried Margaret how to swim on her back and R saw a boat. Everyone loved finding and sharing treasure.

On the boat, everyone relished trying each other’s fish and M gave the Fishy Lady a hug goodbye. In the Cave we saw bats, and everyone boldly shouted their name to make an echo. When the Bear appeared, a couple of people were a bit nervous, but they overcame any fears and patted and hugged it! S articulately told Bold Margaret about the Bear. L asked the Bird for a lift and after we reached the top of the Mountain, other L suggested sliding down.

In Session 2, we revisited the story and everyone remembered it brilliantly. We also talked about our Heart’s Desires:

S – Swimming in the sea
L – Go to the beach
R – Find a unicorn
L – Find a puppy
C – Playing cousin’s xbox and a hamster
M – Have a bunny and play with him in my home and go to the beach
L – A unicorn
L – Go to the mountain

It was fantastic to welcome 14 parents and carers to watch the film! If you couldn’t make it and would like to see the film, please get in touch with the school to arrange a viewing.

‘‘The imagination coming across was brilliant. Really happy with his outcome.‘‘ (Mum)

‘‘Wonderful and great experience for the children. Sam is narrating more of what he is doing whilst he plays.‘‘ (Mum)

‘‘It was good to be here. It’s absolutely perfect way for her to improve her English. Having a longer programme of sessions would be great for her development. ‘‘ (Dad)

16th September 2019

We had a fantastic first week of LicketyLeap at St Mary’s. It was great to meet everyone in Primary 1a and Primary 1b – thank you for coming on the adventure with Margaret & Margaret! Have they told you anything about it? You can find out more about the story in Come & Play – here!

Virginia, Taz, Ruby and Rita are really looking forward to meeting the parents, carers and families of Primary 1 this week for Session 2.

This is where you are invited to watch the film of your child doing LicketyLeap and hear more about the story. The LicketyLeap experience can have a very positive impact on your child’s learning and development and it is really great for them if you can share the experience with them in Session 2, so we really hope you can come.

Have your children told you anything about their journey with Margaret To find out more about Storyplay, click here, and visit the St Mary’s Storyplay page to see what we did last year, and find photos and drawings from Storyplay at St Mary’s. We’ll also be doing Playcard Play and Porridge & Play in October, so keep your eyes peeled for a letter inviting you to join your child and their class for a relaxed, drama-led play and food session at school with Licketyspit.

In Autumn Term 2018/19, 30 more children from Oakwood P1, P2 and P3 took part in LicketyLeap (The Story of Margaret & Margaret).

In Session One, they travelled through the bog, over the sea, into the cave and up the mountain with Worried Margaret and Bold Margaret, to find their Heart’s Desires!

In Session Two, the children reenacted the whole story with the actor-pedagogues, using only a blanket. It’s always incredible to see how much they remember and the increase in confidence to talk to us and share thoughts and ideas after Session One.

Later in Session Two, parents and carers were invited to watch the video of the first session and some live reenactments of parts of the story by their children. It’s so significant for the children to share this significant experience with the adults in their life and it’s great to chat to parents and carers about the impact they think LicketyLeap has had on their child, and tell them more about why we do it.