Jingling Jester

Jingling Jester lesson plan

In Medieval times, a jester’s job was to make people laugh. Create your own jovial jester. Your friends and family are sure to smile at its antics, especially on April Fool’s Day!

  • 1.

    Read <U>The Jester Has Lost His Jingle</U> or a similar story. How did a jester’s humor enrich people’s lives? Why does laughing keep people healthy?

  • 2.

    On a large piece of paper, use Crayola® Colored Pencils to draw the head of a jester wearing his three-point hat. Color him using Crayola Multicultural and Regular Markers. Cut out the head with Crayola Scissors. Trace it to make the back of your puppet. Color and cut out the back.

  • 3.

    Cover your art area with recycled newspaper. Place the head pieces back to back. Seal the edges of the head (not the neck) with Crayola School Glue. Air-dry the head flat.

  • 4.

    Stuff your puppet with crumpled newspaper.

  • 5.

    Paint a section of cardboard gift-wrap roll with Crayola Washable Tempera Paint and Paint Brushes. (You would use the whole long roll and make an almost life-size puppet.) Air dry.

  • 6.

    Glue the top of the tube into the jester’s neck. Air-dry.

  • 7.

    On a large piece of construction paper, draw a pointed collar. Color it with markers. Use your imagination to decorate the collar. Add small craft bells if possible. Cut out the collar and glue it to the jester’s neck. If you used a long gift-wrap roll, d

  • 8.

    Retell the story you read. Make up your own jester tales and tell jokes with your Jingling Jester.

Benefits

  • Students gather information about jesters in medieval times to find out what his role was in the royal court.
  • Students discuss the benefits and healing effects that laughter and humor have on individuals.
  • Children read and discuss a book about jesters, such as The Jester Has Lost His Jingle.
  • Students create a jester puppet to use in retelling the story.

Adaptations

  • Collect jokes for your jesters to tell. Print them in a book. Tell the jokes before an audience with your jester puppets.
  • Read a story such as The Fall of Freddie the Leaf by Leo F. Buscaglia. Create leaf puppets for role playing situations such as change and loss.
  • Write a story or paragraph about an emotional time (happy or sad) that you experienced. Read your story to others and discuss how you handled the situation.