Hi all,

I'm busy writting a anti bullying show. I just ordered Butch the bulldog as the bully character.
And I want to use my dodo bird as victim.
I want to build in one or two magic tricks, that has to do with this theme. Maybe one where I can use the green machine...
All ideas are welcome, also all additional information on this subject. I already found some useful tips on this site, but you never can have to much ideas.

Walter vd Hoeven

The best way to begin is to ask the local school district if they have a particular curriculum or program they use for teaching about bullying. Then find ways for your show to reinforce that. Generally, a state has adopted a program. (7 pillars of character education, choosing food by color, etc.) So if you can reinforce that lesson it is good.

At the last school I was at I spoke on Friendship and bullying. I noticed signs on their walls, so I kept pointing out phrases on the signs and incorporating them into the show. The principal reminded the kids at the end, "Now these are things we have been teaching you all year! We really appreciate Mr. Borders for coming and helping remind us all of what a great school this is... etc."

I don't use the word "bully" much at all, especially in lower elementary. They tend to call every act a bullying act then. Some principals have even asked for a bullying assembly without the word bully and I oblige them. I call it Friendship Skills. I do still use my bulldog named Bully Boy. He was a guard dog for a store until they got cameras and alarms. Now he is retired and I need to retrain him.

For any teaching assembly you want it to have 3 or 4 simple lessons that are taught in fun ways. Pick the lessons first.
Example. Have a large arrow on a square sign. When it is pointing up talk about standing up for yourself and speaking up for others.
When it is pointing down talk about avoiding put-downs, and writing down what happened and who was there to see what happened.
Point the arrow to the side. Talk about places to find help if you don't feel safe.
(It could be a spinning arrow, like a game board, with a pie chart on it. When the arrow is up it points to Stand Up/ Speak Up/ Build Up.
Down is No Put-downs/ Write it Down/ Calm Down
Sides is Feel Safe/ Tell someone

So that is one idea. Here is another:
T.E.A.M. Talk it out.
Express your feelings.
Accept others feelings.
Mend the friendship.

I have thought about a Heroes vs. Super Villains show where different puppets have powers that can be used for good. Sense of humor. Strong arms. Quick thinker. But those powers can also be used for bad. So we find ways to help them decide to build others up instead of put them down. Steve Taylor has a Heroes magic trick that is very nice.http://www.stevetaylorpro.com

My main suggestion is that you focus on the positive side of bullying. Main elements are probably
1. I have a right to feel safe.
2. Caring friends can make a difference.
3. Avoid places where you don't feel safe.
4. Choose to build people up, not put them down.

I really like the Bully Boy song with the bulldog.
There are many anti-bullying facts sheets on the internet. But the main goal is to let the kids have fun and leave them with pointers on how to be safe.

The rope through block or cut and restored rope is a good trick for restoring friendships after gossip has separated friends. Girls often bully by email or talk and that's called gossip.

I also get a great response from the Silk Blendo. Duane Laflin wrote a routine where each color represents feelings. Express how you feel. Instead of pushing, hitting, calling names, or saying I don't like you say:
Red: That makes me mad (have the kids show a mad face and say That makes me mad.
Blue: Sad
Green: I feel bad. (when we did the wrong thing.)
Yellow: Glad (I'm glad you're my friend. I like to say, I tell my wife, I'm glad you're my wife and it makes her very happy. Turn to the person next to you and say, "I'm glad you're my wife and see if it makes them happy!" They get really loud then, but it gets a great reaction.)

All of the silks go into a change bag and the multi silk is removed. Sharing our feelings helps us to grow!

I also recommend calling volunteers up by the color they are wearing as you show each silk.

One could use the green machine as time travel. For example, go back in time to that morning and find out that someone did not feel safe so they chose to stay home from school! Is that what we should do?
Go back to the day before and find out that someone was picked on my his older brother. And he decides that he is going to pick on someone smaller than him at school! Is that what we should do?
Go back to when you were a child and tell a story of how you were picked on OR how you picked on someone and you still regret it.
Have a visual aid for each time.

Thanks Tony for all the information. You gave me a lot of new ideas to work with.
I searched for anti bullying in the search index on this site, and found a post from you on your laughing Louie puppet.
You told there you use your lauging Louie puppet at your anti bullying show, and every time want to tell joke about a blonde a midget ect, and you stop him. I want to use that part in my show.I also want him to help me tell the kids how we can make friends and how to be a good friend like Louie...Anyone have some ideas how to develop this routine?
I love this site it gives someone like me who is not so creative a lot of new ideas.

Here is an example of the Laughin' Louie routine:

L: Louie V: Vent

L: Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!
V: You are sure in a good mood today!
L: Oh! Ha, ha! I just read a joke book and it had some GREAT jokes!
V: Really? I love a good joke. Do you remember any?
L: Sure! One day two blonde girls went into a shopping mall....
V: Oh, wait a minute! I don't really want to hear a blond joke.
L: Why not? You're not blond. More like skin color, I'd say. (I have a bald spot)
V: Well, I have friends that are blondes and they don't care for those jokes.
L: Okay, okay. Well, here's a good one! A midget got onto an elevator...
V: Wait a minute! Little people don't like to be called midgets.
L: Well, what do they want to be called?
V: Same as you! What do you like to be called?
L: Louie. I should call little people Louie?
V: No. But you should call them by their name. Just like anyone else.
L: Okay, okay.
V: So don't tell a joke about somebody's height.
L: Okay. Here's one. There was a fat man and a skinny man at a restaurant...
V: WAIT A MINUTE! Just skip any jokes that make fun of the way somebody looks!
L: Ouch! Okay. Hmm. Let's see.... Okay, I got it!
V: Good.
L: There was a Englishman, an American, and an Australian...
V: Hold it!
L: What? I don't even KNOW how they look!
V: But you're making fun of where they are from!
L: You know I never realized how many jokes there are that make fun of people.
V: What is the name of your joke book?
L: 101 Insults. Jokes you can use to put down your friends until you don't have any more friends!
V: Do you know other types of jokes? How about knock-knock jokes.
L: No. But that name doesn't ring a bell.
V: Or limericks.
L: No. I'd rather hear funny poems. Say, thanks for your help! I'll go check out a different joke book!
V: Good idea! No insults.
end