Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

Short Stories for Kids

Complete lesson plans, including stories, listening, classroom activities, quiz questions and more!

The Sleepy Snowman

A sleepy snowman named Frosty embarks on a quest to find his missing carrot nose.

Try this story at a different level?

 

In a snowy place, there was a snowman named Frosty who liked to sleep a lot. Other snowmen played in the snow, but Frosty was always taking a nap. They laughed because he was so sleepy.

One day, Frosty was sleeping when a squirrel named Nutty took his carrot nose. Frosty woke up and didn’t know where his nose went. He had to find it.

Frosty met an owl who told him to look everywhere for his nose. So Frosty went looking. He saw animals who lost things, too, like a bunny who lost her earmuffs and a bear who lost his fish.

Frosty found the squirrel on a hill. Nutty said sorry and gave back the nose. Frosty was happy and learned to stay awake more to have fun with his friends. Frosty smiled because he had good adventures and nice friends.

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

📖 Vocabulary:

1difficultHard to do or understand
2squirrelA small animal with a big bushy tail that likes to climb trees
3adventuresFun trips or exciting things that happen
4everywhereIn all places or in many different spots
5awakeNot sleeping
6owlA bird that stays up at night and can turn its head all the way around
7napA short sleep, usually during the day
8smiledThe way your face looks when you are happy
9friendsPeople you like to play and spend time with
10sorryWhat you say when you made a mistake or feel bad for something

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What was the name of the snowman in the story?
2. Why did the other snowmen laugh at Frosty?
3. Who took Frosty’s carrot nose while he was sleeping?
4. What did the owl tell Frosty to do?
5. Who else did Frosty meet while looking for his nose?
6. How did Frosty feel at the end of the story?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

In a (1)______y place, there was a snowman named Frosty who liked to sleep a lot. Other snowmen played in the snow, but Frosty was always taking a nap. They laughed because he was so sleepy.

One day, (3)______ was sleeping when a squirrel named Nutty took his carrot nose. Frosty woke up and didn’t know where his nose (4)______. He had to find it.

Frosty met an owl who told him to look everywhere for his nose. So Frosty went (5)______. He saw animals who lost things, too, like a bunny who lost her earmuffs and a bear who lost his fish.

Frosty found the (6)______ on a hill. Nutty said sorry and gave back the nose. Frosty was happy and learned to stay awake more to have fun with his friends. Frosty (7)______ because he had good (8)______ and nice friends.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a snowman?
2. How would you feel if someone took your nose while you were sleeping?
3. Do you like to take naps like Frosty? Why or why not?
4. Do you think it’s important to stay awake and have fun with your friends? Why or why not?
5. What is a squirrel?
6. How would you feel if you lost something important to you, like Frosty’s nose?
7. Do you like playing in the snow? Why or why not?
8. What are some things you like to do with your friends?

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. difficult
2. squirrel
3. adventures
4. everywhere
5. awake
6. owl
7. nap
8. smiled
9. friends
10. sorry

Meanings:
(A) The way your face looks when you are happy
(B) In all places or in many different spots
(C) A short sleep, usually during the day
(D) Fun trips or exciting things that happen
(E) A bird that stays up at night and can turn its head all the way around
(F) What you say when you made a mistake or feel bad for something
(G) Not sleeping
(H) A small animal with a big bushy tail that likes to climb trees
(I) People you like to play and spend time with
(J) Hard to do or understand
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What is the name of the snowman in the story?
(a) Frosty
(b) Snowball
(c) Icy
(d) Chilly

2. What did the squirrel take from Frosty?
(a) His hat
(b) His carrot nose
(c) His scarf
(d) His arms

3. Who told Frosty to look everywhere for his nose?
(a) The bunny
(b) The bear
(c) The owl
(d) The squirrel

4. What did the bunny lose?
(a) Her carrot
(b) Her hat
(c) Her earmuffs
(d) Her scarf

5. Where did Frosty find the squirrel?
(a) In a cave
(b) On a hill
(c) In a tree
(d) In a pond

6. What did the squirrel do when Frosty found him?
(a) Ran away
(b) Laughed at Frosty
(c) Hid the nose again
(d) Said sorry and gave back the nose

7. Why did Frosty start staying awake more?
(a) To have fun with his friends
(b) To take more naps
(c) To eat more snow
(d) To make the other snowmen jealous

8. How did Frosty feel at the end of the story?
(a) Sad
(b) Angry
(c) Sleepy
(d) Happy

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Frosty’s friends laugh at him because he is always napping.
2. Frosty is a snowman who hates to sleep.
3. Frosty encounters other animals who have lost things, like a bunny who lost her earmuffs and a bear who lost his fish.
4. One day, a squirrel named Nutty takes Frosty’s carrot nose while he is sleeping.
5. When Frosty wakes up, he realizes his nose is missing and ignores it.
6. Frosty learns a valuable lesson about staying awake to have fun with his friends and is happy with the adventures he had and the friends he made.
7. Eventually, Frosty finds Nutty on a hill and the squirrel apologizes and refuses to return the nose.
8. Along the way, Frosty meets an owl who misleads him on how to find his nose.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this story in two sentences. Here are some hints:
Who are the main characters?
What happens in the story?

Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What was the name of the snowman in the story?
Frosty.

2. Why did the other snowmen laugh at Frosty?
Because he liked to sleep a lot.

3. Who took Frosty’s carrot nose while he was sleeping?
A squirrel named Nutty.

4. What did the owl tell Frosty to do?
The owl told Frosty to look everywhere for his nose.

5. Who else did Frosty meet while looking for his nose?
Frosty met a bunny who lost her earmuffs and a bear who lost his fish.

6. How did Frosty feel at the end of the story?
Frosty felt happy at the end of the story.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) snow
(2) snowy
(3) Frosty
(4) went
(5) looking
(6) squirrel
(7) smiled
(8) adventures
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. difficult
Answer: (J) Hard to do or understand

2. squirrel
Answer: (H) A small animal with a big bushy tail that likes to climb trees

3. adventures
Answer: (D) Fun trips or exciting things that happen

4. everywhere
Answer: (B) In all places or in many different spots

5. awake
Answer: (G) Not sleeping

6. owl
Answer: (E) A bird that stays up at night and can turn its head all the way around

7. nap
Answer: (C) A short sleep, usually during the day

8. smiled
Answer: (A) The way your face looks when you are happy

9. friends
Answer: (I) People you like to play and spend time with

10. sorry
Answer: (F) What you say when you made a mistake or feel bad for something
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What is the name of the snowman in the story?
Answer: (a) Frosty

2. What did the squirrel take from Frosty?
Answer: (b) His carrot nose

3. Who told Frosty to look everywhere for his nose?
Answer: (c) The owl

4. What did the bunny lose?
Answer: (c) Her earmuffs

5. Where did Frosty find the squirrel?
Answer: (b) On a hill

6. What did the squirrel do when Frosty found him?
Answer: (d) Said sorry and gave back the nose

7. Why did Frosty start staying awake more?
Answer: (a) To have fun with his friends

8. How did Frosty feel at the end of the story?
Answer: (d) Happy
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Frosty’s friends laugh at him because he is always napping. (Answer: True)
2. Frosty is a snowman who hates to sleep. (Answer: False)
3. Frosty encounters other animals who have lost things, like a bunny who lost her earmuffs and a bear who lost his fish. (Answer: True)
4. One day, a squirrel named Nutty takes Frosty’s carrot nose while he is sleeping. (Answer: True)
5. When Frosty wakes up, he realizes his nose is missing and ignores it. (Answer: False)
6. Frosty learns a valuable lesson about staying awake to have fun with his friends and is happy with the adventures he had and the friends he made. (Answer: True)
7. Eventually, Frosty finds Nutty on a hill and the squirrel apologizes and refuses to return the nose. (Answer: False)
8. Along the way, Frosty meets an owl who misleads him on how to find his nose. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

📚 How about these other Level 1 stories?

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The Pirate Princess

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Three siblings embark on a daring quest to solve the mystery of the Sapphire Sphinx.

The Secret of the Sapphire Sphinx

Three siblings named Mia, Max, and Ben found a special book about a secret. They went on an adventure to find it. They had to answer tricky questions from a big blue sphinx. They worked together and used their knowledge to solve the puzzles. They found out that the real treasure was learning new things. They were happy and shared their adventure with everyone.

The Brave Knight

Once upon a time, there was a brave knight named Sir Richard. He lived in a castle with his family,

A lonely turtle named Timothy embarks on an adventure to find friends and discovers a hidden cove.

The Lonely Turtle

Timothy the turtle was sad because he had no friends, but then he found a magical compass that led him to new turtle friends.

Duncan, The Cheeky Monkey

Once upon a time, deep in the lush jungle of the Amazon rainforest, there lived a mischievous little monkey named

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