Older kids who dare to be scared will get a thrill from this slimy storytelling session. Just before guests arrive, place the slimy foods listed below in a bowl or on a plate, then set the dishes on the floor covered by the boxes. As you tell your guests the story, have them move from box to box, reaching inside for a first-hand experience.

MATERIALS

8 boxes (with hand holes cut out)
Bowls and plates
Assorted slimy-feeling foods (see •below)

"We once had an old neighbor named Mr. Kreeps. Sad old fellow. He often complained about not 'feeling' right. When he died, he donated his body to science, hoping that researchers would be touched by his story. Perhaps you can help with the diagnosis.

"Was his problem an oversized tongue?"
• A thick slice of bologna

"A heart that never beat quite right?"
•A ham chunk in water

"An unusually small stomach?"
•A canned, halved pear

"Some thick, cold veins?"
•Cooked ramen noodles rinsed in cold water

"Defective eyeballs?"
•Canned, whole mushrooms

"A genius-sized brain?"
•A cauliflower coated with yellow Jell-O

"Long, knobby toes?"
•Pickles cut in half

"Or ice-cold fingers with dry, brittle fingernails?"
•Frozen french fries and sliced almonds

"One last symptom: he was always hungry!"