Three Little Pigs

Three little pigs learn how to build a safe home so they don’t get eaten by the wolf!

About this Episode

Three little pigs learn how to build a safe home so they don’t get eaten by the wolf!

Snoriezzz, a children’s mindful bedtime podcast and part of the GoKidGo universe of shows for kids, is co-created and co-hosted by Academy Award Winning actor Marcia Gay Harden (she/her), and actor and comedian Natalie Peyton (she/her). Building love of self and love of sleep at the same time, the Snory godmothers use affirmations, calming routines, and a beautiful fairy tale to help you make bedtime the peaceful, bonding moment you need!

Snoriezzz Segments:

00:43 MINDFUL TALK

03:00 GROUNDING WITH YOUR SURROUNDINGS

04:10 SNORY THREE LITTLE PIGS

10:16 CALM YOUR BODY MEDITATION

You can always revisit the affirmations, Snory, or meditations as your little one needs! We’ve provided the timing for each segment above.

Segment music composition: Nana Simopoulos (she/her)

Story music composition and foley: Sterling Steffen (he/him)

Editing: Sterling Steffen

Cover art: Eulie Scheel (they/them)

Production Manager: Kyle Dempsey (he/him)

Branding/marketing: Julitta Scheel (she/her)

Share with a Friend

Get ready for Connect & Learn! Where you and your adult dive deeper into the Snoriezzz episodes you’ve heard at bedtime or naptime!

Deep Dive
Mindful Affirmations
Play + Learn
Science Tips

WELCOME TO ENGLAND! BUT…WHERE IS ENGLAND, ANYWAY?

Map of England
Photo Source: https://www.worldatlas.com/upload/16/8f/3e/uke-01.jpg

Our story “ The Three Little Pigs” follows three pigs who live in the countryside of England, and learn that hard work pays off, especially during tough times! It was first published almost 200 years ago in a book called “The Nursery Rhymes of England,” by James Halliwell-Phillips. Another man, Joseph Jacobs, read that story and changed it a little, and it is this version that spread to lots of households and made it a popular story for kids! Let’s explore the Three Little Pigs’ homeland of England and learn more about where they’re from.

Okay, so The Three Little Pigs lived in England. But where is that? Well, all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, on the continent of Europe, is England! England is part of a “nation of islands” called the United Kingdom, or the UK for short. The capital of England, as well as
the UK, is a city called London. (That’s where you can see lots of big red double decker buses!)

A majestic blue river called the River Thames flows right through the middle of London! The Thames river is 215 miles long – that’s pretty big! So big in fact, that the River Thames is the largest river in England, and the second longest river in the UK.

But the three little pigs didn’t live in London! Nope! They lived in the country. England has beautiful countryside that is very rural – that means cute small towns and beautiful fields! Think of green, grassy hills, open pastures, and plenty of woods and forests. It’s got lots of fun places to play and explore. The Three Little Pigs takes place in the countryside, and we would love to tell you
more about it.

But First, WHO WERE THE THREE LITTLE PIGS?

The Three Little Pigs were 2 brothers and a sister who lived in the English countryside with their mum. They each were taught the same lesson by her, which was: “how to work hard so they can make a good, safe, and cozy home”. But when the pigs grew up and moved out to build their own lives, only one of them remembered the importance of hard work.
One of the pigs built his house with straw, and the other built his house with sticks. But the third pig built her house out of bricks. Do you remember which was the strongest? That’s right, it was the brick house! She was the one who remembered that hard work pays off.

Architecture

All of the materials used by the Three Little Pigs – straw, wooden sticks, and bricks (or stone), are common materials used to build English homes. Let’s take a look at how they are used.

The Three Little Pigs lived in the English countryside, where you will find most of the woods and grasslands. Being right in the middle of nature allowed the pigs to gather their straw, wood, and stone quickly, and the same went for the people of England. They used many of the same materials the Three Little Pigs used to build their houses. Let’s see what they did with the materials and how they used them to create beautiful homes.

Thatched roof houses in England and Wales, UK
Photo Source: https://www.tripsavvy.com/fairy-tale-cottages-under-thatch-4050845

Straw

There are lots of straw roofs in England, called a “thatched roof”. But, as you may remember from the snory, the straw house was the weakest of the three homes! So now you may be wondering, “Why would anybody want to build a house with such a weak material? Don’t they know it didn’t work for the first little piggie?”
And when you put it that way, it sure does sound silly. However, when someone weaves a lot of straw- and we mean A LOT of straw – together in a criss-cross way, they can build a very strong and sturdy straw roof! This is called thatching.
Thatched roofs were very popular in England, especially in small towns and in the countryside. Thatch works as a natural insulator, which means it keeps the house warm all on its own. That makes thatch roofs great to live under in wintertime when it’s really cold outside.

In fact, one of the most famous buildings in England with a thatched roof is Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. This round theatre was designed as an outdoor theatre for people to watch and perform Shakespeare’s plays. It is very cool, not just because of its round design, but also because it is the only roof in London that still has a thatched roof!
The Globe Theatre opened in 1599, and everyone loved going there to see a Shakespeare play. (Shakespeare was probably the most famous playwright ever)! But in 1613, the thatched roof caught on fire during a play, and the theater burned to the ground. No one was hurt, but it was pretty scary. Fortunately, the Globe Theatre was rebuilt a couple of times and recently opened again in 1997. You can go see a play there just like in Shakespeare’s time!

Wood

Another good building material is wood. The second little piggie built his house using wooden sticks. The wooded lands in the English countryside are full of trees, so this allows many English folk to gather plenty of wood and lumber from the trees to build their homes.

In Medieval times, a long, long time ago, many English people used wood to build their homes, especially those who didn’t have a lot of money. Wood is easier and cheaper to work with, so people liked it. Compared to building a stone house, building with wood was faster. Wood, like straw, is a good insulator, and helps keep heat in during the cold months. It also is strong and flexible. Many people’s homes today are made of wood. What is your home made out of?

Brick

The strongest of the three homes in The Three Little Pigs was made out of brick. Bricks are usually red-painted concrete blocks that, when stacked and glued together with concrete, can create big, sturdy structures. Maybe your house is made of bricks, or perhaps your school building?

Bricks are popular in England because, like straw and wood, they are also great natural insulators. They do a great job at keeping warm air inside the house during wintertime, and keeping cool air inside during the hot summers.

Brick, like concrete, is a solid, stone structure. Bricks are very sturdy and can easily withstand harsh weather, like pouring rain and big blizzards. They are also not as easy to catch on fire! This is a big reason why many people in English towns and in the country chose to build their homes with bricks. Do you know any brick buildings? Do any of your family members live in a brick house or brick apartment building?

Stone

Since Ancient times, people have used stone and rocks to build their homes. Stone is super strong, and there’s lots of it in the countryside! It provides good protection from rain and snow and wild animals, and it’s very nice looking!

There are many beautiful English homes made out of stone, and lots of castles and fortresses too!

Stonehenge

England has a very famous, very mysterious, and very ancient “stone” structure right in the middle of the British countryside. Maybe you’ve heard of it?

That’s right kiddos, it’s called Stonehenge.

Stonehenge is a giant stone monument in Willshire, England. It has HUGE stones, all arranged in a circle, and we think it was a sacred site that helped people understand the stars and the sky.

Each stone stands 13 feet high, and weighs 25 tons! That’s heavier than ten cars put together! Archaeologists say it took people over 1,500 years to make the monument. They didn’t have tractors and excavators, so how did they move the stones? Why did they build it for so long?

1,500 years! Wow! Can you imagine having one thousand five hundred birthdays?! How many have you had so far?

The truth is, nobody really knows why Stonehenge was created. Some historians think Stonehenge was built as a graveyard. Other historians believe Stonehenge was built as a calendar or sundial to help local groups plant and harvest crops. Some think it was a meeting place for local leaders. What do you think?

Traditions

Source: https://englandexplore.com/10-weird-english-village-rituals/

As with all places, the English people have many cultural traditions. You may have heard of some, like afternoon tea. It turns out many of these traditions were first developed and practiced in the English countryside, so we’ll take a look at some of those.

Person in Straw Bear costume leading the Straw Bear Festival Photo Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-64275605

Straw Bear Festival

This festival takes place every year in a little town in the middle of England, called Whittlesea. Can you say “Whittlesea”? Let’s sound it out. “Wih-tuhl-see”. Whittlesea!

Every January, the people in Whittlesea throw a parade and a big celebration called the Straw Bear Festival. Someone dresses in a straw costume from head to toe, and dances in the street and entertains all the people of the town who show up to watch. There are dancers and singers, and the festival lasts for a week. At the end of it, they burn the Straw Bear “costume” (but not the person inside it) 🙂, and celebrate all the fun they had.

Cheese Rolling Competition

Another fun, wacky English tradition is the Cheese Rolling Competition. What? Cheese rolling?! Doesn’t that sound silly?

It is pretty silly! Every year, people from far and wide travel to a place called Cooper’s Hill, to participate and cheer on the cheese rolling contest! Cooper’s hill is a big, steep, grassy hill, and whoever is in the contest has to roll a huge wheel of Gloucestershire cheese down the hill, and try to get to the finish line first. The winner of the race wins an 8-lb wheel of cheese.

Maybe you can try the same thing with a small wagon wheel! And when you’re done…enjoy some cheese!

Cornish Hurling

This tradition brings us to the English county of Cornwall. Where else have we heard “Cornish” before, kiddos? That’s right – the Cornish Ogre from The Selfish Giant! That means the Giant went to Cornwall, England to stay with the ogre.

“Cornish Hurling” is also called “Hurling the Silver Ball”, and it is only played in Cornwall. It’s kind of like a football game or even a game of bowling that is played in the streets of the town. The ball is silver, and is pretty light, maybe it weighs about what a big water bottle weighs, and players run through the town and try to throw or kick or pass the ball to each other until they get it over the opposite team’s boundary line. Sometimes people in the crowd are allowed to touch the silver ball for good luck. The goals can be two miles apart!That’s a lot of town to run through! The crowds follow the players through the town, cheering the whole time, and everyone celebrates when it’s over.

Culture & Art

Though its traditions can be wacky and silly, England is also home to some of the world’s most famous artists, composers and philosophers. You may have heard of Adele, or maybe even the Beatles, But you wouldn’t be able to hear their music if it wasn’t for the early discoveries of this super cool composer, named Edward Elgar.

Sir Edward Elgar (1857 – 1934), grew up in Worcester, England and wrote a lot of wonderful orchestral and choral works. (Choral work is singing.) Here is a recording of his choral work, Op. 53 – “There is Sweet Music.” Isn’t it pretty? Can you imagine those voices on beautiful green hills making everything sound so peaceful and angelic!

Elgar was one of the first composers to try recording his pieces! And lucky for us, because Here is one of the ONLY recorded video tapings of Elgar’s early recording sessions. This is amazing! It’s 1931, almost 100 years ago, and we can actually see and hear him conducting Pomp and Circumstances! (That’s the song they play when you graduate from High School or College!)

Photo Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Edward_Elgar.jpg/275px-Edward_Elgar.jpg

Art In The Countryside

Many English painters grew up around and were inspired by the bucolic beauty of the countryside. Have you ever heard the word bucolic? The word “bucolic” refers to the countryside and its natural simplicity and beauty. The word is pronounced “bew-call-ick”. Can you say “bucolic”? That’s a great vocabulary word. If you want to pretend you are English, you can say “Mummy, the park is very bucolic today!”

One famous English painter is the artist John William Waterhouse (1849 – 1917).

Waterhouse’s paintings are easy to recognize because he often paints a woman in them, and he loved painting works from Greek mythology or tales from the legends of King Arthur. Here’s his painting, The Lady of Shalott (1888).

Here we see a woman on a boat wearing a white headband, tunic and belt. Surrounding her is a pond or wetland marsh, with marsh grass, lily pads and trees growing around her. In the background, to the right we see green grass behind the trees, and a big hill on the horizon. This is an example of a “bucolic” painting, using the natural landscape of the English countryside as a setting for this stunning portrait.

To learn more about Lady Shalott check out this poem here by Alfered Lord Tennyson!

Language

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language

Can you guess what language is spoken in England? I’ll give you a hint: we already wrote about it earlier in the article. Can you find it? That’s right, kiddos, the people of England speak English! Way to go! The English language takes its name from the English people, where the language was developed. The English language originated from the West Germanic languages. How the heck did German languages make their way to England? By boat, silly! In olden times, a group of Germanic people called Angles, traveled by boat to England and settled on the island. From there, the language evolved throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, before becoming the modern English we know and speak today. Can you believe it took over 1,000 years to develop the English language? Thank you, Angles! Lastly, in the English countryside, you can hear up to 40 accents and dialects from people all speaking the English language. Do you know anyone with an accent? Can you speak in an accent?

Food In The Countryside

There are lots of delicious dishes unique to England and English people. From pastries to English breakfasts and everything in between, England offers tons of tasty treats and yummy meals. We’ll explore these meals more in Goldilocks and The Three Bears Deep Dive, (remember all that porridge)? But for now, we want to share an English sweet treat adored all over England: Tunnock’s Tea Cakes.

Tunnock’s Tea Cakes are these little round cookies. The inside is filled with marshmallow and the outside of the cookie is coated with milk chocolate. They are TO DIE FOR!!! Such a yummy, sugary candy that’s perfect to eat any time of year.

Castles

Dover Castle is one of the oldest castles still standing in England. Did you know that it was built in 1066? That’s almost 1,000 years ago, back in Medieval times. The stone castle is surrounded by the greenest of grasses, and plenty of trees.

The castle was also a fortress, which means it was used in lots of ancient wars, even as recently as WWII! The British military built tunnels underneath Dover Castle to store ammunition and make sleeping quarters for the soldiers. But today, Dover Castle is a place where you can visit and take a tour, and even check out the medieval suits of armor. Depending on what time you go, you might even see a tournament with knights in armor jousting! Maybe you could pretend like you’re a knight in medieval times while exploring the underground tunnels.

The Three Little Pigs taught us a lot about building different houses. Since we just learned about castles and fortresses too, maybe you could try to build a fort! You could use cardboard, or put sheets over a table or even make a pillow fort. Do you have a tree house? What is it built out of? Join us next in the play and learn where you can color, or make a wolf with leaves, or even make a three little pigs house!

Three Little Pigs: Mindful Affirmations

Embrace the Power of Affirmations!

Imagine a world where your child starts and ends each day with positivity and confidence! By weaving affirmations into their daily routines, children can boost their self-esteem, build resilience, and cultivate a growth mindset. These skills empower them to face life’s challenges with courage and optimism.

Bedtime Bliss and Breakfast Boost:

Why not make affirmations a delightful part of your family’s routine? Enjoy these uplifting phrases together before bed, creating a peaceful atmosphere for sweet dreams. Then, share them again at breakfast to set a positive tone for the day ahead.

You can inspire our little ones to shine bright and embrace every opportunity that comes their way! 🌟

Play & Learn

Download Play & Learn PDFs
How to Make a Popsicle Stick House	Download Now
Three Little Pigs Diorama	Download Now
Three Little Pigs Wolf Leaf Craft	Download Now
Three Little Pigs Coloring Pages	Download Now
How to Build a Blanket Fort	Watch Video

Snoriezzz Science Tip

Amount of Sleep We Need

Eight hours of sleep helps our bodies and brains grow strong and healthy! This is a general guideline for healthy adults, but here’s some interesting details!

As it turns out, people need different amounts of sleep each night based on their age!

A newborn baby needs the most sleep, between 14 and 17 hours of sleep each day! All that sleep helps their brains and body grow! Younger kids also need more time to sleep than older children and adults.

Sleep helps us remember things.

Sleep helps us learn faster and do better in school.

Sleep is the magic ingredient that helping our bodies fight off germs.

By including your Snoriezzz listening time to your nightly routineyou’re participating in a healthy bedtime ritual! Bravo!

Discover More Podcasts

Little Bo Peep

September 17, 2024

Little Bo peep takes a nap and all of her sheep go missing. But with the help of a magical owl, she finds them!

Listen to the Episode

The Selfish Giant

September 24, 2024

A grumpy old giant doesn’t like kids and won’t let them play in his garden. Mysteriously, everything turns to winter. But in the end he befriends a little boy and learns how nice it is to share, and spring returns!

Listen to the Episode