|
Nursery rhymes and
activities |
Dear AGNES Parents,
We have put together a few nursery rhymes and related ideas to help for whenever you need it.
We have put together a few nursery rhymes and related ideas to help for whenever you need it.
Humpty Dumpty
Egg and Spoon Races
Divide children into teams and give each team a spoon and a plastic egg. Place half of each team at one end of the racing area and the other half at the other end.
Explain that each team member must run with the egg in the spoon and pass it to the next team member across the way. If the egg drops off the spoon while a child is running or passing, the runner has to pick it up and start again.
The team that has all runners completing their laps first wins, but the object of the game is to have fun and laugh a lot, so all teams should have a chance to finish.
Jack Be Nimble
ART
Flames
Provide red, yellow and orange tissue paper, glue and construction paper. The children glue these on the paper to make a paper flame.
BLOCKS
Tape red paper on the top of a block and provide little people for the children to have "Jack" try to jump over their block candlestick.
GROSS MOTOR ACTIVITIES
Jump!
Bring in a real candle (do NOT light it!!!) for the children to jump over.
PHONICS
"Jumping with Jack" Letter J Activity
This is a fun activity to teach children to recognize the letter /j/ sound. Recite the nursery rhyme "Jack-Be-Nimble" emphasizing the letter /j/ sound in Jack and jump.
Ask children if they know the letter Jack and jump begins with. Let children colour a page with the letter j outline and tape to the floor.
Recite the rhyme and let children jump over the letter j every time they hear the letter j sound.
Extend the activity by saying a pair of words. One word with the letter j in it and the other without. Examples jar / bike. If the words begin with the letter /j/, the children jump over the letter J printout.
If the word begins with a different sound the children stand still.
Letter j words: jar, jeep, jacket, jump, jug, jellyfish, jet, etc.
The Itsy Bitsy Spider
ART
Spider Webs
Materials needed: Black paper, yarn or string, white paint, paint brush
In advance: Attach each clothes pin to a length of yarn or string.
Place paint in shallow trays.
Have children "dip" the string in the paint tray (it does not have to be soaking wet!)
They then drag the yarn across the paper to make a cool spider web!
If they have a difficult time getting the string wet, try brushing some paint on the end of the string with a paintbrush.
EXTENSION: Have children glue googly eyes onto a large pom pom (craft glue works best for the eyes to stay on) and glue their "spider" onto the web!
ANOTHER EXTENSION: Cutting skill practice: Instruct the children to choose a small-ish piece of paper to make a spider. They just cut, cut, cut, cut round and round and whatever shape they have left is their spider.
Then show them how to "fringe" a piece of paper and cut off their fringes. Help them to count out 8 fringes and glue them on their cut out spider for legs!
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
ART
Sponge Painting
Materials needed: sponges in star and moon shapes, yellow and white paint, blue paper
EXTENSION: Add a little bit of glitter to the yellow paint!
MATH AND MANIPULATIVES
Star Dough
Mix together 3 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of water and 3/4 cup of vegetable oil. Add some yellow food colouring as well. Knead into a dough.
Provide star shaped cookie cutters for the children to make and count stars with.
If you leave them out to dry, the children could also paint them! If you do this, use a pencil to make a hole in the star so that you can place yarn in it and hang it up when painted and dried!
WRITING TABLE
Provide star, cloud and planet stampers for the children to make a Star gazing picture and tell you a story about their picture!
Little Miss Muffet
Put a few cushions on the floor and have the child choose one to sit on.
Then begin to say the rhyme and act out the actions, while you pick up another cushion to be the spider to come and sit next to Miss Muffet.
Jack and Jill
Letter J identification
Draw a pail on a page and then write the letter J randomly on the page. Then add the rest of the alphabet around the page. Using a stamper can they find the letter J.
Draw a pail on a page and then write the letter J randomly on the page. Then add the rest of the alphabet around the page. Using a stamper can they find the letter J.
Old MacDonald had a Farm
Farm Small World Sensory Play
In a sensory bin line the base of the bin with lentils, corn kernels or oats as the ground. Then add add some farm animals and other farm equipment.
Then allow the children to explore. Can they feed the animals? Herd the sheep into their pen?
Math: Sorting and counting animals
Science: Discussing animal behaviour – how they act, what they eat, and the sounds they make
Oral Language: Sensory and small world play inspires lots of conversation. You might even want to incorporate a fun Farm Song!
Social Skills: Working together to plan the play, share toys, coordinate activities
Baa Baa Black Sheep
ART
Cotton Ball Painting
Materials Needed: black paint, white construction paper, cotton balls, pincher clothes pins, googly eyes, glue
The children use the clothes pins to hold the cotton balls. Dip the cotton in the paint to use on the white paper. Add googly eyes with glue.
You can, if you like, pre-cut the paper into sheep shapes! I have the children use scissors to cut the paper into their best oval shape (possibly pre-drawn on the paper with a white crayon) for the children to practice their cutting skills. They then use the scraps to cut out four legs and glue them onto their sheep shape.
EXTENSION: Glue a large craft stick on the back and use them while reciting Baa Baa Black sheep!
BLOCKS
Add cotton balls and straws to your block area. The children can build a farm for their sheep or sheep pens with blocks and then use the straws to blow their cotton ball sheep around their farm!
Sensory activities
Add cotton balls, coloured pompoms, cotton batting, spoons and cups for the children to try and scoop up! Different weights will eventually sink...add some science questions! Why did some of the cotton sink but not the pompoms?!
Cotton Ball Painting
Materials Needed: black paint, white construction paper, cotton balls, pincher clothes pins, googly eyes, glue
The children use the clothes pins to hold the cotton balls. Dip the cotton in the paint to use on the white paper. Add googly eyes with glue.
You can, if you like, pre-cut the paper into sheep shapes! I have the children use scissors to cut the paper into their best oval shape (possibly pre-drawn on the paper with a white crayon) for the children to practice their cutting skills. They then use the scraps to cut out four legs and glue them onto their sheep shape.
EXTENSION: Glue a large craft stick on the back and use them while reciting Baa Baa Black sheep!
BLOCKS
Add cotton balls and straws to your block area. The children can build a farm for their sheep or sheep pens with blocks and then use the straws to blow their cotton ball sheep around their farm!
Sensory activities
Add cotton balls, coloured pompoms, cotton batting, spoons and cups for the children to try and scoop up! Different weights will eventually sink...add some science questions! Why did some of the cotton sink but not the pompoms?!
Pop Goes The Weasel
Physical
Clap the rhythm out on different parts of the body
First line: Clap your hands on your knees
Second line: clap hands on your shoulders
Third line: Clap hands on your head
Last line: Jump up in the air!
Clap the rhythm out on different parts of the body
First line: Clap your hands on your knees
Second line: clap hands on your shoulders
Third line: Clap hands on your head
Last line: Jump up in the air!
Hickory Dickory Dock
Language
Rhyming Words ~ Sit down together and think up all the words you can that rhyme with ‘clock’, ‘mouse’, ‘ran’, and ‘one.’
Making our Own Rhymes ~ For each hour try making up your own rhymes. ‘The clock struck two, the mouse said BOO!’
Positional Words ~ Since the mouse went up the clock, talk about different positional words {up, down, around, on, under, bottom, middle, etc…} You could even have a little toy mouse and have your child put them in the locations (under the chair, in the middle of the mat, etc...)
Rhyming Words ~ Sit down together and think up all the words you can that rhyme with ‘clock’, ‘mouse’, ‘ran’, and ‘one.’
Making our Own Rhymes ~ For each hour try making up your own rhymes. ‘The clock struck two, the mouse said BOO!’
Positional Words ~ Since the mouse went up the clock, talk about different positional words {up, down, around, on, under, bottom, middle, etc…} You could even have a little toy mouse and have your child put them in the locations (under the chair, in the middle of the mat, etc...)
Three Blind Mice
Sensory
Cover the child's eyes. Can then identify the toys and objects that you place in their hands?
Cover the child's eyes. Can then identify the toys and objects that you place in their hands?
Three Little Pigs - Song
