This activity is part of our everyday routine. The first time we did this, I told the following social story:
"My favorite book as a boy was Ralph and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary. Ralph is a mouse who lives in a rundown hotel. A young boy about 9 years old, named Keith, comes to stay in the hotel. The two becomes friends. Keith has a toy motorcycle and Ralph learns to ride it by making motorcycle sounds with his mouth. Keith even made Ralph a helmet out of a ping pong ball so that he would always be safe when he rode.
I loved the book so much I wanted my own mouse for my birthday. My mother, by mistake, bought a hamster instead. By the time I figured this out, it was too late and the pet store would not take the hamster back. I was so sad I cried and cried because I wanted a mouse – not a hamster. To make me feel better, Mom bought me a small toy motorcycle, much like the one in the book.
Well, the hamster hated that motorcycle, because I would grab him out of the cage and plop him on the seat and drive him around real fast. My pet cat would stop and stare at us hoping I would leave the hamster alone for just a second so he could gobble him up. The hamster couldn’t stand it anymore. He started exercising so he would get strong enough to break out of that cage. I would see the Hamster doing sit-ups, push-ups, and stretches everyday so he could bust out.
Which he did. And, he even took my motorcycle. Boys and girls this activity is about that brave hamster.