It’s Snow Picnic
Characters: Matthew Mouse, Woody Woodchuck, Simone Skunk, Ferdy Fir Tree, Goldy Goldfinch, Heidi Hare.
Props: Sign saying “January 1st,” piece of white fabric to cover stage, dried weed stalk with seed head, cotton balls.
Matthew Mouse Oh boy! A snowflake in October! Winter’s coming! I should have a party to celebrate winter. I’ll have it in January when there’s plenty of snow. Why, here’s Woody Woodchuck. Hi, Woody.
Woodchuck Hi, Matthew Mouse. Brrr, it’s cold today! I’m going back in my den!
Mouse Wait, Woody! I’m going to have a winter party, in January, and you’re invited.
Woodchuck January? Um, gee, thanks, but I’ll be hibernating in my den, you know.
Mouse Hibernating? Is that like sleeping?
Woodchuck Yes…and no. I’ll be curled up in a ball with my tail over my nose, just like when I sleep. But my heart will beat very slowly and I’ll be nearly as cold as ice. I won’t come out till spring.
Mouse But won’t you get hungry?
Woodchuck Hungry? (chuckling) Ho, ho, I’ve been stuffing myself all fall. I’ve got plenty of fat to get me through a long winter.
Mouse I wish you could come to my party!
Woodchuck Well, I would-chuck if I could-chuck but I can’t-chuck, so (yawn) I’ll see you in the spring…Chuck. (exits)
Mouse Bye, Woody. (to himself) Guess he won’t be coming!
Simone Skunk Hello, Matthew. (yawns) You look wide awake this icy morning.
Mouse Hi, Simone! I’m so excited about the snow! I’m going to have a winter party in January, with sliding and building snow mice! I hope you’ll come.
Skunk Well, I’m not sure. I am dormant in winter, you know.
Mouse Dormant? What does that mean?
Skunk It means I’ll be asleep for many weeks. Sometimes I’ll wake up to hunt for a little snack, but then I’ll go back to sleep.
Mouse I hope you’ll be awake for my party.
Skunk You’ll know I’m awake if you catch a whiff of me!
Mouse I’ll invite some birds too, like Sally Swallow. She always loves a party.
Skunk But Matthew, don’t you remember? The swallows flew south weeks ago.
Mouse Oh, that’s right! I forgot that lots of birds migrate away. Too bad!
Skunk Your party sounds nice, but this cold just makes me sleepy. Goodbye. (exits)
Mouse Oh, boo hoo! No one can come to my winter party! Everyone will be hibernating or dormant or away on migration. Even the plants are all dead.
Ferdy Fir Tree Golly gee! I’m not dead! I’m not even grown up yet.
Mouse Oh hi, Ferdy Fir Tree! I can see that you’re still green and have all your needles. I meant all the trees with bare branches.
Fir They’re not dead – just shut down for winter. They’ll make new leaves in the spring. You’ll see.
Mouse Well, I’m glad about that. But what about all these dead weeds? (hold up weed)
Fir The stalks are dead, but those are the living seeds for next year’s flowers, and many weeds have living roots underground.
Mouse So they’re hibernating – like Woody Woodchuck?
Fir Well, plants are a bit different from animals, you know. We don’t sleep, but we stop making food when the ground is frozen.
Mouse Well, Ferdy, since you’re awake, will you come to my winter party? We’ll go sliding and roll snowballs…
Fir Golly gee, I’m not much good at sliding, but maybe I can make snow cones! I bet lots of animals will come too. That’s my fir-cast, anyway! See you then! (exits)
Mouse Good! I sure hope so, but who?
Goldy Goldfinch Potato chip, potato chip! Hi, Matthew! I heard you’re having a party.
Mouse Goldy Goldfinch? How’d you hear?
Goldfinch Gee, I fir-get! I guess some whispering branches told me. Is it true?
Mouse Well, I was planning a party, but everyone will be hibernating, or dormant, or away on…hey, aren’t you going to migrate?
Goldfinch Oh no! We goldfinches stay active like you in winter, and so do blue jays, chickadees, and lots of other birds. And don’t forget hare and deer and porcupine.
Mouse Are they active in winter too?
Goldfinch Of course! They’ll all come to your party. I’ll help with decorations! We can make bouquets with all these weeds – and they’ll be full of seeds to eat too.
Mouse Edible bouquets – yum. But how will you carry them?
Goldfinch Gee, I’m not sure. I’ll just have to wing it! I’ll let everybody know, okay?
Mouse Sure! Thanks! Looks like I can have a winter party after all. (both exit)
(put white fabric on stage)
(hold up sign saying, “January 1st”)
Mouse Hurray! Look at all this snow! Just in time for my big party!
Heidi Hare Did someone say party, or do my long ears deceive me?
Mouse Heidi Hare! You’re the first guest!
Hare I was hopping I’d be on time! Deer, squirrel, and vole are coming too, and all the birds. I hope no one invited fox or weasel!
Mouse Of course not – but you wouldn’t have to worry. With your white fur, you look like a snowball…hey, that gives me an idea. Take that! (toss cotton ball)
Hare A snowball fight? Yay! (toss cotton balls at each other and audience) Gotcha!
Mouse Gotcha back! This is the best way to celebrate winter!
THE END
Nearby Nature 