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To start this routine, I first
blow up my green balloon and have it prepared up to step
2. I can do this while talking or I can do this without
saying anything. It does not take very long at all to
get to this point, so it should not be a distraction.
In fact, it is also entertaining because your audience
doesn’t quite know what is going on yet. This curiosity
will keep them engaged long enough to get to the next
step.
(I usually let people know that I am going to be making
a frog before I start this routine. Either they ask
for a frog or I just tell them I am going to make one
of my favorite balloons for them, and I let them know
it’s a frog.)
The Routine:
Frogs are really, really cool! In fact, did you know
that frogs don’t start out as frogs? (Pull out
your round balloon and inflate it so that it is soft
enough to twist in half for eyes later on.)
They actually start out as eggs. And these aren’t
your ordinary eggs you might find in the refrigerator…
They are soft and squishy. (I move it around in my hand)
If this were a chicken egg, I wouldn’t be able
to do this. (Continue to move the egg around in a way
that would normally crack a chicken egg. If you do this
over someone’s head, you can add, “or you’d
have nasty egg stuff all over you” in an exaggerated
voice.)
Frog eggs sit and sit and sit until one day they hatch
(Twist the balloon in half and begin attaching it to
the green balloon).
Now, when frogs come out of their eggs, they aren’t
frogs. They look very, very different. In fact, they
are so different, that they have a different name. They’re
called tadpoles. (Show tadpole, step 4)
And this tadpole will swim and swim and swim (show
it swimming through the air) until one day its tail
slowly starts to shrink. And as the tail shrinks, it
starts to grow legs (this is when you are making the
front legs of the Frog).
And now it’s a half frog (Show the half that
looks like a frog.) and a half tadpole (Show the side
with the tail.)
Scientists have decided that this not the same as a
frog. They also decided that it is not the same as a
tadpole… So, they gave it a new name! They call
this a Pollywog.
(If there are smaller children between the ages of 3-6,
I add, “Isn’t that a funny name for a half-frog,
half-tadpole? I’d think they might call it a frog-pole
or something… wouldn’t that make more sense?)
Now, the pollywog will swim and swim and swim (show
it swimming) and it will try and hop (move the frog
side like it’s trying to hop, but don’t
move the tail) but it won’t be able to.
(Say this as an aside) And all frogs really want to
do is hop.
So, the rest of the tail gets absorbed into the body.
It disappears (Complete the legs of the frog.) and it
creates these cool little things I like to call hoppers.
(Show the frog hopping by bending and releasing his
legs.)
(Finish up the frog)
And the last step… After the egg has hatched,
after the tadpole begins to grow legs, and after the
pollywog loses his tail, the frog finally gets…
His eyes and a smile! (Smile as you say this so that
they know you are joking.)
Well, not really… but when I make a frog out
of balloons, that’s the way I have to do it!
(Granted, you could add the eyes and smile in the very
beginning while you are making the tadpole. I just perform
this way so that I have some humor at the end about
how I can’t be perfect.)
(I then pull out a business card as I continue.)
All my animals learn tricks. Not only did my frog learn
to swim and to jump, but I also taught it something
very important to me.
(Place business card between front two feet.)
I taught it to advertise!
(I then hand the frog to an audience member and continue
with my next bit of business.)
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