It all started at a 'crafternoon' with my friends. Basically sitting around chatting, gossiping, drinking tea that goes cold (or wine that doesn’t last long), while making completely random little crafts. My friend Anna was making a tiny felt mouse and I fell in love with it instantly. It was so small and simple and cute and I just knew I needed it in my life.
So obviously… I took it to school.
I printed off a tiny door and stuck it to the skirting board under my desk, popped Mouse there and just left it. No big introduction, no explaining, just waited to see what would happen.
The children went wild.
At first they just noticed it. Then they gathered. Then came the questions… and the questions were so good. Proper curious, thoughtful, imaginative questions. They started talking to him, having full conversations, completely unprompted. It was one of those moments where you just stand back and think wow… this is it.
And then came the offerings. Oh the offerings. Little bits of food, tiny drawings, notes, random objects, all carefully left by his door. We eventually made a tiny post box because the influx of mail became an fire hazard... It went on and on and on and I just followed their lead.
Since then, Mouse has lived quite the life. He has had a birthday, got a mummy, been injured and had some very serious surgery, moved house, decorated for Christmas… honestly you name it, he has done it. And every single bit of it has come from the children.
That is the magic of it. Something so tiny, so simple, and yet it unlocks the most incredible talk, storytelling, problem solving and mark making. Nothing forced, nothing planned, just pure imagination.
Add a bit of whimsy to your classroom. There is not enough of it in the world.
You can download your own free mini props for your tiny mascot here.
My top tips for using a tiny mascot:
Keep it simple. One tiny object is enough to spark huge thinking.
Don’t overplan. The best magic comes from spontaneous, playful surprises.
Use sparingly. Mouse should not appear every day, the rarity keeps the excitement.
Follow their lead. The children’s ideas and theories are the learning.
Leave clues, not answers. A prop is a prompt, let them build the story.
Celebrate randomness. Any tiny object can become Mouse Magic.
Capture the language. The storytelling, describing and problem solving will come if you let it.
If you try this in your classroom, do share how you get on. I love hearing tales from other tiny mascots!
Have fun!
Love, Sarah x