Talking Toys: NCERT Class 3 English Story (Santoor Chapter 5)

etmantra3 Nov 20265 min read

What do toys in a shop think while they wait? In this story they talk, sigh and hope to be chosen. Children enjoy hearing the toys' voices and meet many Indian toys, from a Vande Bharat train to dancing dolls.

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From NCERT’s new English book Santoor for Class 3, unit “Toys and Games”. Chapter 5.

What your child learns

Names of toys: spinning top, marbles, board game, soft toy
Describing words: a red cap, a happy boy
Making plurals with -s and -es
Greeting and asking politely in a shop

What the story is about

It is a holiday, and the market is busy. The toy shop opens in the morning, full of wooden toys, soft toys, board games, bats and balls. The toys wait to see who will buy them. Two girls only look through the window and walk on. Then a girl comes with her little brother and father, and she chooses the board game Snakes and Ladders.

Next, a woman comes in with her son. The talking doll and the toy elephant both hope to be picked, but the boy asks his mother, whom he calls Aayi, for the Vande Bharat toy train. Two more girls buy marbles and the toy aeroplane. Last, a group of children buys the toy elephant, a spinning top and some dancing dolls, and they all leave the shop happy.

New words, with Hindi meanings

holiday: a day with no school or work (हिंदी: छुट्टी)
local: near where you live (हिंदी: पास का, स्थानीय)
displayed: put out so that people can see it (हिंदी: सजाकर रखा)
exclaimed: said something loudly and suddenly (हिंदी: चिल्लाकर बोले)
sighed: let out a long breath when sad or tired (हिंदी: आह भरी)
excitement: a happy, eager feeling (हिंदी: उत्साह, जोश)
eagerly: in a way that shows you really want something (हिंदी: बेसब्री से)
cheerfully: in a happy way (हिंदी: खुशी-खुशी)

Talk about it

Ask these aloud after reading or watching. Let your child answer in English if they can, or mix in their home language. Both help.

Which toys were there in the toy shop?
Which toy did the little boy ask his mother for?
What did the group of children buy at the end?
How do you feel when someone gives you a toy?

Answers for parents

There were wooden toys, soft toys, board games, bats, balls, a talking doll, a toy elephant, a train, an aeroplane and more.
He asked for the Vande Bharat toy train.
They bought the toy elephant, a spinning top and some dancing dolls.
For example: I feel very happy and want to play with it at once.

Grammar corner: Describing words (adjectives)

Some words tell us more about a naming word. In 'a red cap', the word red tells us about the cap. These are called describing words.

The soft elephant sat on the top shelf.
A little boy wanted the long train.
The girls saw a shiny aeroplane.

Practice at home

Add a describing word: a ___ doll
Make the plural: box, toy, bus
Fill in the blank: The toys waited ___ for the children. (eagerly / angrily)

Answers: 1. For example: a pretty doll · 2. boxes, toys, buses · 3. eagerly

Try this

Set up a toy shop at home with any toys, spoons or bottles. One person is the shopkeeper and says 'Namaste! How may I help you?' The other is the buyer and describes what they want, like 'I want the big red ball.' Then let the toys 'talk' too: your child can give each toy a voice and say why it wants to be chosen.

Tip for parents

Ask your child in Hindi what their favourite toy is and why. Then help them say it in English with one describing word, like 'my blue car'. In the story the boy calls his mother Aayi, so talk about what your family calls Maa, and let your child mix Hindi and English freely.

Questions parents ask

What is the story Talking Toys about?

It is about the toys in a shop who talk among themselves and hope that each new customer will choose them. By the end, many of them are bought by happy children.

Which toys are in Talking Toys?

The story has a toy kitten, a talking doll, a toy elephant, a Vande Bharat train, an aeroplane, a toy phone, marbles, a spinning top, dancing dolls and Snakes and Ladders.

Is Talking Toys in the new NCERT book?

It is in NCERT's new Santoor book for Class 3. It is Chapter 5, in Unit 2, Toys and Games.

Learn every Class 3 chapter with CALP

Every chapter of Santoor, NCERT’s new book, with notes in English and Hindi, say-it-aloud practice with a score, grammar, speaking and first writing practice. ₹1,299 for the whole year.

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