Tried & True Routines

SOME TRIED & TRUE ROUTINES RECOMMENDED BY: Pam "P.J" Vandewater, Meta "Mitzi" Krucina, Connie "Shy Gumshoe" Matras, Sylvia "Maisy" Columbus, Darlene "Tootie" Francone, & Janet "Jelly Bean" Tucker

•Mitzi does a complete routine with small boxes of "Cheer" detergent with a "carrot" inside. "I brought you some Cheer because I carrot for you." Then do the magic trick with the ropes that come out. Use "Tide" or "Vanish" for a running word play on soaps and detergents using small box props.

•"Prescription glasses" made with prescription bottles glued to eyeglass frames, and another pair of glasses with a box of "Contact" glued on for contact lenses. (Scruffy has these and kids love them)

•P.J.'s spring raccoon, Rocky, who can do tricks such as roll over, stay, and count, but he doesn't do that often because it gives him such a headache.

•Shy Gumshoe makes a chicken out of a towel and talks about the healing qualities of chicken soup. She also uses a "3-piece chicken dinner" which consists of 3 kernels of corn—dinner for a chicken.

•Jelly Bean uses a rubber chicken who is worn out from swimming in the soup pot making chicken noodle soup.

•Tootie uses a clown stethoscope made from a plunger to check out toes, ear, knees, etc.

•Magic tricks preferred by the clowns include knit loops which exchange places on the finger and are given to the patient, the magic coloring book, the large card with all the mini-cards glued on the back, and rope tricks with stories.

•Jelly Bean uses a large bone marked "Funny Bone" and tries to find the owner who must be missing his funny bone after surgery.

•Several clowns use soap bubbles with different patter such as "scrubbing bubbles" keep the hospital clean and sanitary, or the clown catches the bubble (really a large marble) and saves it to show the next patient.

•Preferred giveaways include stickers, bug prescription cards, coloring or puzzle pages, magic knit loops, and photo cards of the clowns. These notes and ideas will help you to be a better clown visitor. Remember to put some time into planning your visits so you will bring smiles and laughter in a positive way to help with healing.