OLE' lessons: Time Stowaways lessons WRAP PARTY

It's time to celebrate at a reunion of characters, stories, and ideas. Let's look back at Time Stowaways and see how far we've come and where we've gone.

🥳 PARTY ACTIVITIES AT A GLANCE

🍍 Welcome Basket buffet
🎩 Character cosplay
🎭 PDQ Re-enactments

🍽️ BUFFET BREAK
🤓 Trivia
💈 Polls
💃 Conga off into the sunset

~ ❖ ~

🎈DETAILS 🍰 (The party will most likely last about an hour)

🍍 Welcome Basket buffet — Invite guests to bring something something for the party buffet—preferably a dish mentioned in the book. As hostess, you may want to be in charge of the pineapple to ensure all the others don't bring one. (You may even elect to create a pineapple centerpiece or perhaps half a pineapple and fill with fresh mixed fruit)

🎩 Character cosplay — Invite participants who are dressed as their favorite character (or in 1950s garb in general) to do a quick fashion parade so everyone gets to see who is dressed as what. (You may even elect to give out a prize for 'best dressed')

🎭 PDQ Re-Enactments — Ever heard of PDQ (pretty darn quick) Shakespeare? It's a performance of an entire Shakespeare play that is pantomimed in a matter of minutes ... then done even faster, which basically makes it a laugh riot. That's what we're gonna do here with Time Stowaways. Your first run-through should take 5-10 minutes. When it's done, tell the performers you're going to do the whole thing again in under a minute! Remind your cast this is a pantomime. No talking, just actions. Here are the scenes for your actors to perform as you call them out. (Note, having the props mentioned available to each performer before they start will make things run more smoothly)

Frankie & Finn arrive at the boat and are asked for ID. Frankie spreads the rumor that Finn is a movie star
After they stop by their room (and grab some pineapple), the boys head out to explore. They are chased by girls and end up in the luggage room
They spot a wildcat and a trunk that whimpers. Opening the trunk, they encounter the Robinsons.
After the boys go back to their stateroom, Finn smuggles the kids in under a big coat
Betsy cries, and Cruise Constable arrives looking for kids. Finn orders room service and they sing Blue Moon to Betsy to keep her from crying
The constable returns and the kids hide on the room-service trolley to avoid detection
The constable comes back again disguised as a waiter then a maid
The kids are taken to the presidential suite and then ultimately to the Smoking Lounge in the off-limits area
The setup is terrific, and Frankie & Finn deliver board games and food to the kids without a hitch
Chuck goes exploring and gets the kids caught! They go to the brig and then (because of a drunk man) end up in the laundry room to work off their passage
When the boys go out on a tender to view marine life, they see a signal from the ship and suspect it's from the kids
Finn gets Frankie's master key to the kids so they can get out of laundry room
Frankie & Finn pose as showgirls and break the kids out, but they are chased by the constable
They hide in the Trash vault before pressing the button that propels them through time
They are shocked to find themselves in 2020 New Orleans
An elderly couple riding mobility scooters befriends them, offers a solution to help them get home, takes them to lunch, and then through a portal to the Omni Ocademy
To get home, they will need something metal from their point of origin (the ship). Frankie pulls out a brooch, Chuck has a spoon, and Maggie has a pen. It's enough for only 3 of them to return.
Tearful goodbyes are said, and hugs are shared
The Robinsons stay at the Ocademy. Frankie & Finn return to the Trash vault. Since the Robinsons are nowhere to be found, the constable cannot make a case about stowaways or kidnapping
Frankie & Finn go to the final dinner, but they're sad, even though they believe the Robinsons are safe. As the passengers conga, the boys return to their room
As they disembark the next day, a girl asks for Finn's autograph. Although they can't remember what happened in the Trash vault, the experience is an adventure they'll never forget

BUFFET BREAK (This is a good time for people to grab a plate and settle in for the trivia bowl)

🤓 Trivia — You may want to have a prize for the winner (and depending on your hospitality style, party favors for all)

What was the name of Chief Purser Jarvis' wife? (Gladys)
What did Maggie prefer to be called? (Margaret)
What flag caused so much trouble when it was mistaken for North Korea? (Costa Rica)
What did Betsy prefer to drink? (Chocolate milk)
What was Finn's "movie star" last name? (Hudson)
Name someone on the VIP passenger list (see lesson 01 for the list)
What does the word "peckish" mean? (rather hungry)
What sort of marine life was seen off the ship, resulting in Frankie & Finn being invited out for a ride on a small boat? (dolphins)
What kind of wild beast was in the luggage room? (a jaguar ... or leopard ... or jagpard)
What year did they time travel to? (2020)
What did Frankie ask Finn to order from room service the first time they called? (the right side of the menu)
What was the song Finn sang to calm Betsy? (Blue Moon)
How did the Robinsons let Frankie & Finn know they needed help? (They hung maritime signal flags from the porthole)
How do you curtsy? (have them demonstrate)
Replicate the "knock code" they used (or that you as a group came up with) (Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is 1, 1 2, 1 2 3 4 5 6)
How many course was the Captain's Dinner? (12)
How old are the Robinson children now? (Chuck is 16, Maggie is 12, Betsy is almost 6)
What are the Robinsons fed when they work in the laundry? (gruel)
What was the anomalous day of the year they travelled on that resulted in their going through time? (February 29, ie Leap Day ie Saliolum)
What was the name of the ship (The Alcoa Corsair)

💈 Polls for fun and nostalgia. Ask them the following. There are no right or wrong answers

Who was your favorite character?
What was your favorite activity during the lessons?
Which character are you most like?
Which characters would you like to see return in other stories?
What would like to do in real life that the characters did in the story?
Did you know that Frankie's family is responsible for a kids-helping-kids pirate-themed activity where young scallywags follow a treasure map to collect school supplies to give to less fortunate children before school starts? It's called Shared Treasure Hunt. There's even a short book about Frankie's ancestor who started the whole thing
Finally, if you're a fan of Finn, he (along with Frankie) are in other books as well, including one that takes place 2 years later. It's called The Mark of X, and it's about a girl who's being bullied and Finn and Frankie take her under their wing to help her thrive
What do you think the Robinson children grew up to be?
What sort of other adventure would you like Frankie & Finn to have?
What kind of Omni Tale story would you like next?

💃 Turn on Gloria Estefan and conga with everything you've got!

YOU DID IT!!!