🧽 The Sponge Who Forgot His Name – A Memory & Emotions Lesson

🧽 "The Sponge Who Forgot His Name" - A Memory & Emotions Lesson

A playful preschool lesson about memory, emotions, and helping others
From The Everyday Schoolhouse

 

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🧩 Snippet Description:

In this funny and heartwarming preschool lesson, a sponge wakes up and can’t remember his name — or where he left his silly hat! With the help of his friends (and your preschoolers!), he explores feelings like confusion, frustration, and joy. With a simple story, easy craft, silly snack, learning game, and early memory-building activities, this sponge-themed lesson is perfect for homeschool or classroom fun.

 

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📖 STORY:

The Sponge Who Forgot His Name

One sunny morning, a sponge woke up in the sink.

He blinked his googly eyes, stretched his corners, and said… “Wait a minute… what’s my name again?”

He looked around. No soap. No toothbrush. No spongey ID tag.

“I had a name. I know I did. It was soft and bouncy… and it started with… a… squish?”

The sponge bounced over to the fork.
“Hi! Do you know my name?”

The fork said, “Nope. But I once forgot where I put my spaghetti. It was still in my hand!”

Then the sponge found a toothbrush.

“Do you remember me?” he asked.

Toothbrush said, “I think your name is… Kevin? Or Spongey-Pants? Or Mr. Soap-Soaker?”

“That doesn’t sound right,” the sponge sighed.

Finally, the sponge waddled to the mirror. He stared at his squishy little face and said,

“Well… I might not know my name, but I do know I’m friendly. And funny. And kind. And that’s enough for now.”

Just then, a bubble popped behind him and a voice said,
“SPLINKY! There you are!”

It was the soap bottle.

“Ohhh! My name is SPLINKY!” the sponge cheered. “That’s ME!”

He bounced three times, spun in a circle, and shouted, “I remember! And now I just need to find my HAT!”

And off he went.

The End.

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🎨 CRAFT: Make Your Own Splinky Sponge Buddy

Supplies:

• Yellow sponge (real or paper cutout)

• Googly eyes

• Construction paper (for hat & arms)

• Yarn for silly hair

• Glue or tape

• Crayons or markers

Directions:
Create your own “Splinky” character by decorating a sponge or sponge-shaped paper. Add a silly paper hat, wild yarn hair, and let kids give their sponge a name!

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🍪 SNACK: Sponge Squares with Smileys

Supplies:

• Cubes of banana bread or pound cake

• Yellow frosting (or whipped topping dyed yellow)

• Chocolate chips for eyes

• Mini marshmallows for silly hats

Frost the cubes and decorate with faces and hats — then gobble up your sponge buddies!

 

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🍞 Splinky Cornbread Face Snack

A silly snack that brings Splinky to life — and makes snack time extra giggly!

Supplies:

• Square pieces of cornbread (cut into sponge-like cubes or rectangles)

• Black edible food marker or icing pen

• Plate or napkin for serving

 

Directions:

1. Cut cornbread into squares or rectangles to look like Splinky’s sponge shape.

2. Use a black edible ink pen to draw two dots for eyes and a big smiley mouth on each piece.
   

3. Serve on a fun plate and let kids name their cornbread Splinky before eating!

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🎲 GAME: “Who Am I?” Memory Match

Create picture cards of characters from the story (sponge, fork, toothbrush, soap, mirror). Hide the cards and give clues like:

• “I’m shiny and hang on the wall.”

• “I hold your noodles!”

• “I make bubbles when you scrub!”

Kids guess who each character is based on the clues to build memory and recall.

 

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🎵 SONG: “If Your Name Is Splinky”

(To the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)

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If your name is sponge Splinky, give a wave! (wave wave)
If your name is sponge Splinky, give a wave! (wave wave)
If you’re funny and forgetful,
And your squishy heart is helpful—
If you’re name is sponge Splinky, shout HOORAY! (Hooray!)

 

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🧠 LEARNING ACTIVITY:

Name & Feelings Chart
Make a simple chart with a sponge character in the middle. Around it, draw faces: happy, confused, silly, frustrated, and excited.

Ask:

• “How did Splinky feel when he forgot his name?”

• “How do you feel when you forget something?”

• Let kids place clothespins or stickers to match the emotion.

 

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💬 LET’S TALK ABOUT IT (Parent/Teacher Prompts):

• What do you do when you feel forgetful or frustrated?

• How did Splinky act when he didn’t know his name?

• Did he still try to be kind and friendly?

• What makes you special, even when you feel unsure?

 

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💡 What Kids Will Learn From This Lesson:

• Memory & name recognition

• Feelings (happy, sad, confused, excited)

• Listening and communication

• Taking turns & helping others

 

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🏡 At-Home Extension: “Name That Sponge!”

After doing the lesson, encourage parents to:

• Let their child give their sponge buddy a new silly name each day

• Write the name on a sticky note and attach it to the sponge

• Ask questions like:

  • “How is your sponge feeling today?”

  • “What would your sponge like to do?”

  • “Can your sponge remember its name from yesterday?”

You can also suggest reading the story again at bedtime, and even let the sponge “sleep” next to the toothbrush or mirror like in the story. 

 

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📩 PARENT RESOURCE:

Encourage parents to ask their child, “If you woke up and forgot your name, what would you do?”
You can also give your sponge buddy a new name each day and use it to practice memory (“What’s your sponge’s name today?”). Add a sticky note or tag to help build recall.