(Know your audience. Make it interesting and fun. – Advice from people who give speeches.)
What if your audience is pre-K to 7-year-olds along with mothers holding toddlers in their arms?
Our local library has story-time each week for a group of kids and their parents. The regulars are home-schooling families and I was asked to give a talk about things I grow on the farm, mainly popcorn.
“I’m a little out of character with kids.” I admitted to the mothers. A rule in giving speeches is to show confidence but I was going to set that expectation bar low.
Kids filed into the room dressed in Halloween costumes of yellow and green monsters, a purple dragon, a Pikachu, and the little 3-year-old girl as a bumble bee. Bumble Bee looked to me offering a big innocent grin that would melt a hardened steel heart.
“Who likes popcorn?” – Cheers!
“A kernel is planted into the ground, grows into a stalk, then produces ears of corn like these.” I showed several ears of Ladyfinger popcorn.
Pikachu pointed out the difference compared to field corn.
“This was going to be a tough crowd,” I’m thinking in Rodney Dangerfield voice.
To make this educational, I brought another variety of popcorn and remarked how corn was different just like how kids have different hair, eyes, etc.
“Sometimes nature produces something unexpected like this…” I showed an ear that split into two. – Laughter! It has legs!
I handed out popcorn ears so they could try shelling it from the cob. This delighted the boys as kernels shot across the room. – Chaos!
“I’m losing my audience?” --- “Not yet!”
Pikachu explained that water inside of the kernel expands and that’s how it pops.
“Hey, this is my show, kid!” I thought in Bob Hope’s voice.
I popped some corn which was devoured by the group, especially Purple Dragon and Bumble Bee.
Questions from mothers and kids were answered and I gave out bags of popcorn to enjoy at home.
One mother asked if I wanted something for payment.
“Smiles from little bumble bees was enough,” I heard my voice say.
“I actually said that?”
“Yep. A little out of character, indeed...”
Linked to Poets and Storytellers United: Friday Writings #1: I Write with My Food
