The Odd Sock
A funny, warm-hearted play about being different.
Written for the very youngest performers in school. Every line is short, every song is easy to learn, and there are lots of chances to move, sing and join in together, so nobody needs to feel nervous about being on their own.
Print-ready PDF (33 pages) · Instant download from The Teacher Vault store on Gumroad
Synopsis
Scene 1 – The Laundry Basket
It's Monday morning and Stripy Sock wakes at the bottom of a very full, very smelly laundry basket. Its other sock is missing! Jumper, Vest and the Pyjamas (who match perfectly and like to say so) send Stripy Sock off to ask the Washing Machine.
Scene 2 – The Washing Machine
The robotic Washing Machine beeps Stripy Sock inside, where a crowd of cheerful Bubbles pop up to help. A dizzy spin cycle later, the Washing Machine suggests asking the Pegs.
Scene 3 – The Washing Line
The Pegs pinch Stripy Sock onto the line to look for its partner. When the Wind whooshes in, Stripy Sock goes flying over the fence, back through the window… and lands right next to the Tumble Dryer. Uh-oh.
Scene 4 – The Tumble Dryer
The grumpy Tumble Dryer is fed up of being blamed for every missing sock. But when Stripy Sock starts to cry, he softens and tells it where all the odd socks go: the Sock Drawer.
Scene 5 – The Sock Drawer
Inside the drawer is a gang of odd socks. None of them match, and that's the best bit! Stripy Sock realises you don't have to match to be friends, and everyone joins in a joyful finale.
What's Included
- Teacher's introduction and how to use the pack
- Synopsis and themes & learning links (EYFS and KS1)
- Before and after discussion questions and follow-up activities
- Meet the characters and a flexible cast list for 15, 20, 25 or 30 children
- The full script (5 scenes)
- Photocopiable song lyric sheets with actions
- Costume ideas, props, staging & set
- Rehearsal planner
The Songs
- Where's My Partner? (tune: Frère Jacques)
- Bubbles Go Round (tune: Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
- The Peg Chant (call-and-response chant)
- It's OK to Be Odd (tune: London Bridge Is Falling Down)
5 scenes · 168 spoken lines, mostly 2–8 words. All characters, story, dialogue and lyrics are original, written in British English.
Themes & Curriculum Links
PSED
Recognising and talking about feelings; building friendships and including others who seem different; understanding that it is OK to be different.
Communication & Language
Speaking clearly to an audience, listening for cues, new vocabulary (pair, match, odd, cycle, peg, lonely, different) and retelling a story in sequence.
Expressive Arts & Design
Singing songs from memory with actions, moving imaginatively, making simple costumes and props, and exploring pattern (stripes and spots).
KS1 links
KS1 PSHE/RSE (caring friendships and respectful relationships), KS1 Music (using voices expressively) and KS1 English (spoken language).
Characters
- Stripy Sock (lead) – A cheerful red-and-blue sock looking for its partner. Can be shared by up to five children as a 'relay lead'.
- Narrators 1–3 – Carry the story; best read by adults or confident readers.
- Jumper, Vest & the Pyjamas – The laundry basket clothes. The two Pyjamas always speak together.
- Washing Machine – A robot-like machine who speaks… one… word… at… a… time.
- The Bubbles & the Pegs – Group roles with a few short lines each, plus group lines and actions.
- The Wind & the Fluff – Movement and group-line roles, great for children who prefer not to speak alone.
- Tumble Dryer – A brilliant comic part for a child who enjoys being grumpy!
- The Odd Socks – Spotty, Fluffy, Holey, Sparkly, Football and Tiny, plus a non-speaking cameo for the Other Sock.
The cast table shows exactly how to cast the play for 15, 20, 25 or 30 children, which roles can be doubled, and how many lines each part has. Bubbles, Pegs, Wind and Fluff are group roles that can be as large or small as you like, and the lead can be shared between up to five children.
Script Sample: The Opening Scene
Here's how the play begins, so you can get a feel for the length of the lines and the humour.
The stage is a giant laundry basket. The Clothes (Jumper, Vest and the two Pyjamas) are curled up asleep inside. Stripy Sock is curled up in the middle.
NARRATOR 1Once upon a Monday morning, in a house not very far from here…
NARRATOR 2…there was a laundry basket. A very FULL laundry basket.
NARRATOR 3A very full, very SMELLY laundry basket.
All three Narrators hold their noses. The Clothes pop up one at a time, wave to the audience and flop back down.
NARRATOR 1And right at the bottom of the basket lived a sock. A stripy sock.
STRIPY SOCK(stretching and yawning) Good morning, everybody!
JUMPER(sleepily) Morning, Stripy Sock.
VESTMorning!
PYJAMAS(together, doing the same stretch) Mor-ning!
STRIPY SOCKGood morning, my other sock! (pause) My other sock?
NARRATOR 2Stripy Sock looked left.
Stripy Sock looks left. The Clothes look left too.
Sample from Scene 1. The full script, songs and teacher notes are in the pack.
Common Questions
How many children can take part?
The cast table shows exactly how to cast the play for 15, 20, 25 or 30 children, which roles can be doubled, and how many lines each part has. Bubbles, Pegs, Wind and Fluff are group roles that can be as large or small as you like, and the lead can be shared between up to five children.
Do we need sheet music or backing tracks?
No. Every song is set to a well-known traditional tune or a simple chant, so a confident adult voice, a piano or a guitar is all you need. Photocopiable lyric sheets are included.
What format is the pack?
A print-ready PDF (33 pages), delivered instantly by Gumroad after purchase. Print as many copies as your school needs.
Is it suitable for Odd Socks Day and Anti-Bullying Week?
Yes. The play's message, "you don't have to match to be friends", fits Odd Socks Day and Anti-Bullying Week (held each November in the UK) perfectly. It also works as a class assembly, a summer show or a stand-alone performance for families.
Is there a discount for buying more than one play?
Yes. The bundle of all five original School Plays is £29.99, instead of £49.95 for the five packs bought separately.
All 5 Original Plays Bundle — £29.99
Get all five of our original plays in one download: The Odd Sock, The Moon Who Was Scared of the Dark, Bin Day Rebellion!, Lost Property and Unit 7 Wants a Birthday. That's a play for every year group from Reception to Year 6 for less than the price of three single packs (worth £49.95).
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