Mitchell’s Sandbox Surprise
It’s a bright, sunny morning in the Big Kids’ playground. All the boys are gathered around the large sandbox, building castles, digging moats, and shaping towers out of golden sand. They wear their sun hats and are carefully protecting their creations from wayward buckets of water.
Just then, Mitchell waddles up to the sandbox. He’s wearing his favorite shirt, his diaper baggy and sagging, and he has his pacifier in his mouth. The big brothers barely notice him at first as they focus on adding flags to their sand castles.
Ten minutes later, a sudden PFFFTT! breaks the peaceful sounds of shovels and laughter. The boys inhale a strong, stinky smell. They look around, confused, until their eyes fall on Mitchell. He’s plopped his diapered bottom right onto one of the castles and giggling softly to himself. Sand and poop mix together in a messy pile.
The other toddlers cry out in surprise and frustration:
“Mitchell, that’s gross!”
“He ruined my castle!”
“Teacher, Mitchell did it!”
Mr. Lewis, the teacher, arrives quickly. He kneels by the sand and helps the upset boys brush away the mess. Then he looks at Mitchell, who is still giggling but now a little shy.
“Mitchell,” Mr. Lewis says kindly but firmly, “building in the sandbox is fun, but you can’t sit in other children’s sand castles. You know better than that.”
Mitchell’s smile fades. Mr. Lewis leads him to a nearby bench for a timeout. Mitchell sits quietly for two minutes, thinking about his choice. During that time, the other boys rebuild their sand castles, a little wiser about protecting their creations.
Key Vocabulary
waddle – to walk with short steps, swaying side to side
sagging – drooping down because something is too loose
moat – a deep, wide ditch around a castle, often filled with water
timeout – a brief pause from activities to think about behavior
Reading Check
What were the boys doing in the sandbox before Mitchell arrived?
Why did Mitchell have to sit in timeout?
How did Mr. Lewis help the boys after Mitchell’s accident?
Writing Activity
Imagine you are one of the boys in the sandbox. Write two sentences about how you felt when Mitchell sat on your sand castle and what you did next.
Discussion Prompt
If Mitchell pooped on your sand castle, what would you do? Discuss with a partner how you could help him understand why it was wrong and how to fix the problem.