The Kids On The Block

The Kids on the Block is a troupe of disabled and non disabled puppets who look like real kids, dress in real kids’ clothes, and like real kids, have real problems they tackle every day. Mark Riley has cerebal palsy, Joanne Spinoza is a fourteen-year old with a complexion problem, Nam is a Vietnamese eleven-year-old who plays soccer, and Brian has epilepsy. They and their friends form the core of an exciting, effective educational program about disability and being different. 

United States public Law 94-142, often called the “Mainstreaming Law,” requires that handicapped children, to the greatest extent possible, are educated side by side with non handicapped children, sharing classrooms, facilities, and experiences. Such “mainstreaming” is bound to raise a unique set of problems and questions from both disabled and non disabled children, and that’s where the Kids on the Block fit in. The remarkable nature of the Kids on the Block opens avenues of honesty and communication. Children ask the puppets questions about disabilities they might otherwise hesitate to raise.

Kids on the Block Shows

  • All
  • PreK - Kindergarten
  • 1st Grade
  • 2nd Grade
  • 3rd Grade
  • 4th Grade
  • 5th Grade
  • 6th Grade
All
  • All
  • PreK - Kindergarten
  • 1st Grade
  • 2nd Grade
  • 3rd Grade
  • 4th Grade
  • 5th Grade
  • 6th Grade

Caught in The Middle

Although the divorce rate has decreased steadily in Oklahoma since the 90s, divorce has become the norm in this country and that’s ok. It’s important …

Read More →

Taking Back Control

The secret sauce to conflict resolution is keeping your cool. That doesn’t mean hide your emotions but try to change your outlook. If someone is …

Read More →

Feelings are Important

Feelings are important when it comes to bullying.

Read More →

Rescue or Report

In Rescue or Report, we learn how to safely intervene in a bullying situation. We can rescue someone who needs help and we can report bullying to a trusted adult. This show is intended for children ages 7+

Read More →

You’re Not the Boss of Me

In this show, we find that Eddy has been getting bullied at school. We learn how bullying behaviors can affect peer relationships – such as Eddy’s initial interaction with his friend Clare – and we learn that bullying isn’t just a kid problem but a whole community problem to work on together. This show is intended for children ages 8+

Read More →

Sticks & Stones

In this show, we learn that name-calling can lead to hurt feelings. We also learn how we can use our words to stand up for ourselves and ask someone to stop calling mean names. This show is intended for children ages 4 to 6.

Read More →