kids helping kids for kids’ sake! · kids helping kids for kids’ sake! enough stuff scene 3...

Birthday drama script for schools

Kids Helping Kids for Kids’ Sake!

Kids Helping Kids for Kids’ Sake! www.enough-stuff.net Enough Stuff

Enough Stuff birthday drama script for schools

Simple black boxes placed centre stage representative of:

• Scene 1: Playground seating• Scene 2: Toys R Us register• Scene 3: Birthday party at Ben’s house• Scene 4: Mr Tough

Stage

• Oversized cash (find on Google images – print off enlarged $/£ notes and glue to cardboard both sides)• Wrapped presents that all look the same shape, but with different wrapping paper• Toys R Us logo apron• Small ball to play catch• Birthday cake• Gift bags• Whiteboard• Mr Tough costume — Mr Tough from Enough Stuff with the teddy bear logo emblazoned on his cloak

Props/costumes:

• Narrator• Ben (birthday boy)• Ben’s mum• Mr Tough• Ben’s friends 7–8 kids (not too many as this will overwhelm the stage)• Mums or dads shopping — girls and boys can dress up as parents shopping at Toys R Us OR can be the same kids going

to the party (thus depends on how many kids you have to work with)

Cast:

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Scene 1 School playground

Students are sitting centre stage, it’s lunch time.

(From stage left)Narrator: “Okay I will set the scene. We’re at school, it’s lunchtime”.

Ben and his friends are chatting (improvising conversation).

Ben interrupts.

Ben: “So, it’s my birthday next week and I want you all to come to my party”.

Students react with excitement then freeze.

(Spoken to audience)Ben: “I can’t wait I’m going to get so many presents!”

Child A: “Cool, Ben”.

Child B: “Yeah, I’ll come for sure”.

Child C: “Me too, I’ll make mum get you a really cool present”.

Child D: “I know, I’ll tell her to get you a video game”.

School bell rings. Students continue speaking to each other as they are exiting.

Child E: “What about that ball that skips on water?”

Child F: “Or that scary mask?”

Child G: “I’ll get you a video game”.

Child H: “Me too”.

Child J: “What about that war game advertised on TV?”.

(Huge grin to the audience) Ben: “Mums… stand by, get your cash out, it’s time to go shopping!”

Ben and friends exit stage.

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Scene 2 Toys R Us register

Narrator enters.

Narrator: “This is not cool, not cool at all. Ben already has a bedroom full of toys and video games! Here they come, the mums (and dads) are armed with cash and they’re going to spend it. Now, excuse me while I attend to my day job”.

Narrator ducks down behind the black box (register) and changes into a Toys R Us uniform.

Narrator: “Good afternoon ladies, welcome to Toys R Us”.

Mothers enter the stage with cash (the enlarged note props) in hand, racing to scan the shelves for the perfect gift.

Parent 1: “I really don’t have a clue what to buy Ben?! He already has everything he needs, and I’m so busy today — I really don’t have time to do this”.

Parent 2: “This really is a waste of time and money — money that could be better spent elsewhere”.

Other parents nod their heads in agreement.

Mothers mime looking at items, picking them up and placing them back on the shelf — looking confused and frustrated.

Narrator: “The problem is these mums do this same trip a lot, and they always have the same problem”.

(Mothers freeze with items in hand. The narrator speaks directly to them)Narrator: “They have the cash to spend on a birthday present, but they don’t know what to buy”.(Mothers unfreeze)

After pacing the aisles in frustration, they finally choose a present — still looking perplexed as they pay and leave.

(To audience)Parent 1: “Thank goodness that’s over!”

Parents exit stage.

Scene 2 Toys R Us register

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Scene 3 Birthday party at Ben’s House

(From the side of the stage)Narrator: “It’s Ben’s birthday… let’s see what happens”.

Ben opens the door to his friends, who are all carrying presents of a similar shape, wrapped in different wrapping paper. Ben and his mum are standing at the door.

Ben: “Hey guys, come in. Thanks for coming to my birthday party”.

All of Ben’s friends are lined up at the door with similar shaped gifts. They hand the gifts to Ben.

Ben: “Mum, will you take all these?”

Ben’s friends pile the gifts into Ben’s mother’s arms. She struggles and sits on the chair, placing the gifts on the table.

Ben and his friends move to stage left, stand in a circle and start playing with a ball (improvising conversation).

(To the audience)Mum: “Oh dear, I think Ben has been given the same gift — they all know he loves video games. It’s such a shame, I’m sure he has all of them already. Oh well”.

(Looking over at the kids playing)Mum: “Oh look at that, they are out there simply playing with a ball. Who needs those silly video games when they are perfectly happy with just throwing a ball around with friends”.

(Calling to children)Mum: “Who’s ready for birthday cake?”

Friends react and run to centre stage. Ben’s mum places a birthday cake down in front of Ben.

(Children all sing happy Birthday to Ben — short version)“Happy Birthday to you! (Clap, clap)Happy Birthday to you! (Clap, clap)Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you” (Clap, clap).

Ben: “Mum, is it present time yet?”

Mum: “Yes darling, here you go”.

Ben’s mum hands him the gifts and he starts opening the presents.

Ben: “Oh cool, a video game!”

(Opening another gift)Ben: “Another video game…

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Ben looks really disappointed and so do the other children.

(Elbowing Ben)Mum: “What do you say Benny?”

Ben: “Oh sorry, thanks for the presents everyone. It’s just that I have these already. Mum, I’m not being selfish, but it’s such a waste of money. I really don’t need these”.

Everyone on stage freezes. Narrator comes onto stage left.

Narrator: “Wow that’s a bit embarrassing, perhaps Ben is realising that he has enough stuff?”

Everyone unfreezes.

(Changing the subject)Mum: Here we go everyone… I have some wonderful party bags for you!”

Children open the bags (chatting to each other).

As the children open the goodie bags, they mumble.

(Audibly)Child A: “Great, a plastic compass”.Child B: “And a plastic ruler, just what I always wanted…”Child C: “Wow a bouncy ball, like I don’t have one of these already!”Child D: “Oh, and MORE lollies?!”Child E: “How boring!”Child F: “I bet mum will make me throw these away when I get home”.Child G: “Me too, I don’t even want any of this stuff”.

Narrator pops their head in.

Narrator: “More money wasted on the goodie bags, do kids really need this stuff?”

All the kids leave, with Ben and his mum seeing them out.

Ben: “Bye, thanks for coming and for the presents”.

Scene 3 Birthday party at Ben’s House (continued)

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Scene 4 Mr Tough

Ben and his mum start cleaning up the mess.

Ben is sitting amongst his opened gifts looking down.

Mum: “What a lucky boy you are to get so many presents”.

Ben: “Well actually Mum I was thinking, I really don’t need these. I have enough stuff in my bedroom and most of these video games already”.

Ben thinks.

Ben: “Maybe we could give these to some other children who don’t have as much stuff as I do? Can you take them to an orphanage where I know they’ll be appreciated at least?”

Ben hands over the presents to his mum to give away.

Mum: “Ben, that’s really kind of you”.

(To the audience)Ben: “Wow, it actually felt better giving the presents away than it did receiving them”.

Suddenly Mr Tough from Enough Stuff — who has been watching the scene from the side — dramatically enters the stage, with his cape swooshing around him.

Mr Tough: “Good for you Ben. What you did then was a really good thing”.

Ben: “Umm, who are you?”

Mr Tough: “I’m Mr Tough from Enough Stuff”.

Mum: “Thank goodness, I thought you were a super hero from one of those violent video games!”

Mr Tough: “No Ma’am. But I am waging a kind of war. A war to reduce the waste at kids’ birthdays!”

Ben: “Wow, but I don’t get it?”

Mr Tough: “Think about it Ben. All that money spent on those presents that you really didn’t need, as you already have a bedroom full of stuff. How about that money going to people who have very little or nothing at all?”

Mr Tough: “How about instead of presents on your birthday, you asked for a cash donation. Half of the money collected could go towards one REALLY nice present of your choice that you know you’ll use and appreciate — like a bicycle, maybe. Then, wait for it… the rest of the money can go to those that have less than you — to a good cause?”.

Ben: “Okay I get it. That’s such a cool idea. I’d be able to buy something that I’ve always wanted and help other kids at the same time. Cool”.

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Mr Tough: “And if every kid did the same and you all donated your money to an Enough Stuff collection box at your school, imagine how much you kids could raise for charities.

Mr Tough walks to the whiteboard on the stage and does a quick adding calculation, large enough for the audience to see. For example, if 20 children donated $25 each = $500. He then divides that (can ask Ben or audience for help).

Mr Tough: “Ben, you’d have $250 to buy a really cool present for yourself (gives an example of what he could buy), then you’ll donate the rest to the Enough Stuff collection box at school.

Mr Tough then goes back to the whiteboard and demonstrates if 30 kids had a birthday that term, and roughly raised the same amount as Ben did, the kids would raise $7,500 for a good cause.

Ben looks visibly shocked, surprised and excited.

Ben: “Okay, I get it, that’s such a cool idea, I have $250 to buy my own present and $250 to go towards a good cause”.

Narrator: “Wow, Mr Tough sure does know his stuff! This guy’s going to change birthdays forever”.

Narrator brings all the kids onto stage, they spread out and he counts.

Narrator: “1, 2, 3…”

All the cast sings the rap while stomping the beat with their feet.

“Listen to Mr Tough,Mr Tough from Enough Stuff,We say listen to Mr Tough,Mr Tough from Enough Stuff.

Cuz we’ve got enough,We’ve got enough,We’ve got enough stuff,Do you?” (All point to the audience)

Scene 4 Mr Tough (continued)

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