Hummingbird Educational Resources

HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE
I've done this where the kids change the nouns in the rhyme.  For 
instance...

Hey Diddle Diddle the _____ and the ______

The ____ jumped over the _____.

Every rhyme will be different and it gets the children laughing and 
having a great time with nursery rhymes.  You could even have them 
illustrate their new version for a class nursery rhyme book.

Adaptation of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - Use this variation to work on opposites.
Submitted by Beth
 Twinkle Twinkle Great Big Star
 I can see you, there you are!
 I see you,
 You are so bright.
 You keep me awake at night!
 Twinkle Twinkle Great Big Star
 I can see you there you are!

THE 3 LIITLE KITTENS
Submitted by Elaine
I cut out several pairs of mittens from wallpaper (very durable and colorful).  Each child picks a
mitten and the room parent hides the other mitten in the classroom.  The children go on a hunt to find
their lost mitten.  Of course, we recite the poem and they love it.  They always want their pie--this year
they are going to get some pie!

BAA BAA BLACK SHEEP
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full
One for my master and one for my dame
And one for the little boy who lives down the lane.
GROUP DISCUSSION:
Tell children the meaning of "master, dame, and lane."  What is wool?  Where did the sheep get it?  Why do you think the sheep had wool for the little boy who lived down the lane?  What color was the sheep?  What color was the wool?  How many bags did he have?  How do you think the people used the wool?
CREATIVE DRAMA:
Children take turns being the sheep and being asked "Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?"  They answer "Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full."  Help them with the rest of the words to the rhyme, or as a variation, allow them to name classmates or family members as recipients of the wool.  For props, the children can help stuff three small garbage bags with newspaper to create "bags of wool."
COLOR REVIEW:
Pass out different colors of paper sheep.  Sing the song "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" several times substituting another color word for "black."    When children hear their color, they hold up their sheep. Good rhyme to use with the "Number 3" or the color "Black."

The Old Woman Who Lived In a Shoe
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe
She had so many children, she didn't know what to do
So she gave them some broth without any bread
And kissed them all quickly and put them to bed.
Personal preference: I use the word "kissed" instead of "whipped."

GROUP DISCUSSION:
What would it be like to live in a shoe with lots of other children?  What would be good about it?  Bad?
CREATIVE DRAMA:
Children take turns being the little old woman and her children.  A tall appliance box makes a good "shoe house."  Provide
paper cups for drinking pretend broth before being kissed and sent to bed. Let children taste chicken bouillon for snack (broth).
ART: Cut a boot shape out of construction paper have children cut pictures of and old lady and several children out of a magazine to glue on the boot.

Hey, Diddle, Diddle
Hey, Diddle, Diddle, the cat and the fiddle
The cow jumped over the moon
The little dog laughed to see such sport
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
GROUP DISCUSSION:
Tell children the meaning of "sport" as used in this rhyme and discuss the humor of the scene.  Why was the dog laughing?  Do you think the dish and spoon were friends?  Why do you think they ran away?Show the children a fiddle if possible and let them experiment with its sound.
CREATIVE DRAMA:
Children take turns being the cat (with a toy fiddle), cow (jumping over a paper moon), laughing dog, dish, and spoon.
Extension: Gross Motor: Let children hop, crawl, step, etc over the paper moon.
Art:  Make Fiddles: The children sponge paint stars and moons on the inside
of a clean white or black (preferably unused) meat tray.  Then elastics are
placed across the tray (the short way) to create the "strings."  Now everyone has their own fiddle.
MORE ANIMAL ANTICS: Children replace the words cat, cow, and dog with other animals: The snake and the fiddle, the zebra jumped over the moon, the horse laughed to see such sport, etc.
Serve a snack that needs a dish and spoon.

Old Mother Hubbard
Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard
To fetch her poor dog a bone
But when she got there, the cupboard was bare
So the poor dog had none.
GROUP DISCUSSION: Tell children the meaning of "fetch" and "bare."  What are some reasons why the cupboard might be bare?  Was there food in the cupboard for Mother Hubbard?  How do you know?
CREATIVE DRAMA: Children take turns being the dog (can bark for food) and Mother Hubbard (or boys can be Father Hubbard) tells the dog there aren't any bones.  Empty the small toy cupboard in your housekeeping corner to use for a prop.
Variation: The teacher reads the rhyme while a child goes through the motions of opening the empty cupboard, seeing that it's bare and expressing that to the dog through body movements rather than words.
MATH: Hold up a number and children "bark" that many times.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary
Mary, Mary, quite contrary
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.
GROUP DISCUSSION:
Tell children the meaning of "quite contrary" (stubborn--wanting her own way).  You may also wish to elaborate on
silver bells (bell-shaped flowers), cockle shells (seashell shaped flower--show a scallop shell if you have one), and pretty maids.  Do you think Mary had many friends?  Why?  Why not?
CREATIVE DRAMA: Children take turns being Mary (or Larry, or use children's real names) and pretend to water flowers. A small sprinkler can is a nice prop.  The children could pretend to water the flowers on the mural activity below.  Ask each child "How does your garden grow?"  Help them with the rhyme answer, or as a variation to the rhyme, let them think of other
things besides flowers that grow in gardens.
MURAL: Hang a strip of butcher paper on the wall and allow children to create a mural of flowers created from collage materials.  (I like to cut a few silver bell and cockle shell shapes to throw in the mix of materials.)  Children can draw happy faces on flower centers to create "pretty maids." This is a great rhyme to do in the spring or summer.

Wee Willie Winkie
Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town
Upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown
Rapping at the window, crying through the lock
Are the children all in bed, for now it's eight o'clock?
GROUP DISCUSSION / LANGUAGE
Have children come dressed in nighties/pj’s and bring favorite doll, stuffed animal or bedtime story.  Tell children the meaning of "rapping at the window" and "crying through the lock." Was it daytime or nighttime?  How do you know?  Why was he trying to find out if all the children were in bed? Play with flashlights and talk about other ways you can have light at night (moonlight, candles, lamps, etc.)
CREATIVE DRAMA:
This one is fun to do outdoors.  Children take turns being Willie (or Willamina) Winkie running through the town, rapping at
windows, crying through locks, and asking, "Are the children all in bed, for now it's eight o'clock?"  Other children can be moms and dads who answer Willie's question from inside a playhouse or a cardboard box house.  Cut head and arm holes in a pillowcase for a nightgown.
NAPTIME:
If children stay for nap at your center, you can ask at the appropriate time, "Are the children all in bed, for now it's (your naptime) o'clock?"
GROSS MOTOR / GAME:
Watchmaker Game: When the watchmaker says, "3 o'clock" (or 10 o'clock, 11 o'clock, etc), children take that many steps.  But when the watchmaker says, "12 o'clock," the children start running and the watchmaker has to catch them.  If the watchmaker catches a child, that child helps the watchmaker catch other children by starting the game over again. –
practice walking upstairs and downstairs, run through the playground ‘checking’ on the children
ART
Let children paint a nighttime scene on a large classroom (patio?)
window.

Humpty Dumpty
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the King’s horses
And all the King’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty back together again.
SCIENCE:
First get enough eggs for each child to have one.  Hardboil  some of the eggs.  Don't tell the children this.  Make a brick wall from blocks, put newspaper underneath.  While reciting the poem, each child takes a turn to drop an egg from the wall--they will be amazed to see the raw eggs spatter and the hardboiled eggs crack.  Also, include anti-bias activity by using brown eggs as well as white.  Are they the same inside?--make sure both are raw or hardboiled.  Are they different on the outside?
MATH:
Sung to One Green Bottle
5 Humpty Dumpty's sitting on a wall
5 Humpty Dumpty's sitting on a wall
And if one Humpty Dumpty should accidentally fall....
CRACK! There'll be 4 Humpty Dumpty's sitting on a wall....
Repeat until there are no eggs left
ART:
Boil Eggs then allow children to paint Humpty's face on.Humpty-Dumpty children can paint with the white of the egg on black
paper. After drying processes the picture will shine like no other.  Using an oval piece of cardboard or heavy paper the children will enjoy trying to putting "Humpty Dumpty" back together again by gluing cleaned, dried, egg shells pieces onto the oval piece of paper.
Mural - block print wall, glue coloured paper Humpty pieces.
SCIENCE:
"Humpty Dumpty" As a group activity in the science center give each child in your class one raw egg. Provide for them different types of  materials, such as old pillows, blankets, cardboard, and other scraps.
Talk to the child about how fragile an uncooked egg is. From there let each child choose a piece of material. Some may choose that same material. Ask each child about there material, is it soft, hard, thick, thin, and so on. then ask each child whether their material will save the egg from breaking if the egg were to fall like Humpty Dumpty. After they answer let each child choose a height to drop their egg. As each child drops their egg record the height that they dropped the it from and the result of the fall. In doing so you can compare the fall of one child's egg on let say a pillow to the fall of another child's egg on to the same surface, but at a different height. The children enjoy this activity and learn from it as well.
LANGUAGE:
Recite "Humpty Dumpty", have the students draw a picture to illustrate the following sentence: Humpty Dumpty sat on a _______. Make a class book.
Cooking: -
scrambled eggs
Music
Use instruments to add musical accompaniment to rhyme: Humpty on wall - maracas, fall - cymbals, horses - clappers.
Language
1. say rhyme together, acting out with humpty toy.
2. sequence rhyme pictures
Math
1. draw cracks on paper egg shapes for chn to match.
2. Count eggs as put into carton.  How many are in a dozen?

Eggshell Humpty Dumptys:
Recite the "Humpty Dumpty" nursery rhyme and pass around an unshelled hard-boiled egg for the kids to examine. Set out egg shapes cut from white construction paper, glue the eggshells on their egg shapes to create cracked Humpty Dumptys. When they've finished, give them googly eyes to glue on their egg shapes or cut eyes from construction paper.

Poor Humpty Dumpty Song
Sung to "Three Blind Mice"
Poor Humpty Dumpty
Poor Humpty Dumpty
It's sad to tell
He broke his shell!
He hurried and scurried to the top of the wall
He sat on the edge and had a great fall
But he couldn't bound like a rubber ball
Poor Humpty Dumpty!

Hickory Dickory Dock
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap w/ each word)
The mouse ran up the clock. (Left arm straight up & run right fingers up left arm)
The clock struck oone (over head, clap hands together once loudly over head)
The mouse run down (Right fingers run down left arm)
Hickory Dickory Dock (clap w/each word)
Hickory Dickory Dock (repeathand motions)
The mouse ran up the clock (repeat hand motions)
The clock struck two ( clap twice)
The mouse said, “BOO!” (say loudly with hands cupped around mouth)
Hickory dickory dock (repeat hand motions)
Hickory Dickory Dock (repeat hand motions)
The mouse ran up the clock (repeat hand motions)
The clock struck three (clap three times)
The mouse went, “Wheee!” ( slide fingers down left arm)
Hickory Dickory, Dock

ART
Draw a large grandfather clock onto brown construction paper add clock face with regular numbers and laminate. Make two clock hands (hour and minute).  Attach the hands to the clock face with a paper fastener (brad) so that the hands can be moved. Make a mouse out of gray paper and laminate Make a small hole a both ends of the mouse and at both ends of the
clock. Run a length of heavy string through holes on the clock and through the mouse (so that the mouse can run up the clock) Tie the string ends together at the back of the clock. Children can put clock hand to any time on the clock and run the mouse up and down the string. Put an original copy of the rhyme on the clock but encourage kids to make up new rhymes with other
times.

Little Bo-Peep:
To create sheep use a small cluster of cauliflower, cheese spread or peanut butter, one cheese stick and raisin. depending on age cheese stick can be previously cut into four equal parts. the children dip the cheese stick into the cheese spread and stick them under the cluster of cauliflower for four legs. Voila a Sheep-enjoy (raisin could be used
for nose-my children insisted)

For "Little Bo Peep":
Have children cut out a sheep pattern and a "lamb tail", then attach them together with a brad so that the sheep can "wag
their tails behind them." Have the children color the sheep ANY COLOR they wish!
I used die-cut sheep with each child's name on each sheep. I hid the sheep all around the classroom. I gave each child "clues" where their sheep was hiding (under the art table, behind a certain book, etc) and they found "Bo Peep's" lost sheep.

Little Miss Muffet:
With two crackers, peanut butter, and small stick shaped pretzels watch the children create a spider by sliding pretzels into
the peanut butter placed in between the two crackers.
Little Miss Muffet - on a circle shaped piece of paper have the children
draw a circle. Inside their circle challenge them to glue oatmeal, cornmeal...for a bowl of curds and whey.
Recite "Little Miss Muffet", have the students brainstorm where Little Miss Muffet could go when she ran away: write the students response at the bottom of their illustrations.

Twinkle Little Star
Sugar Cookie Dough-Star shaped cookie cutter-then paint with egg yolk or yellow food coloring-bake-enjoy.
For a cute lullaby mobile, cut out stars, moons, and clouds. Let children decorate them and put together. say "twinkle twinkle little star" as you look at your mobiles.

Jack & Jill Be Nimble
Paint a toilet paper tube and a paper towel tube to look like candles. We made flames out of construction paper. As you
recite the rhyme "Jack be nimble" insert the child's name (Timmy be nimble..)
as you recite the rhyme the children are instructed to jump over the candlestick, we start with the short one and proceed to the taller one. We then go on to challenge the students, jump quickly, jump over and back again etc. The kids really enjoy this movement in our class.

DRAMATIC PLAY
Each month in the preschool classroom where I work we have introduced a new Nursery Rhyme. With each Rhyme we made a "costume" out of poster board with a hole cut out for the kids' head. This way at circle time the kids get to take turns acting out the parts of the nursery rhymes. The kids have loved it.

LITTLE JACK HORNER
"Pull out your thumb and print out some plums" To make one class book give each child one small paper plate, Ask her/him to pick a number for you to write on the plate, next have the child dip their thump into purple paint then print number the corresponding number of plums on the plate. When paint is dry cut a circle the same size as the center of the plate from brown paper, staple the paper to the plate, then label it with child's name (Little Kara Horner) To complete the class book stack the plates together punch a hole through each plate then bind together with yarn.

Jack and Jill
Cause and effect need: bucket with light blue cotton balls placed inside. Two Children (Jack and Jill) stand on each side of the bucket while holding onto the handle. as the other children/teacher chant the nursery rhyme the two children with the bucket act it out-Lifting knees they go up hill, Jack falls to floor, Jill falls to floor and the teacher states "Where did the water go?" "All over Jack and Jill" and dumps the cotton balls on Jack and Jill. The children love this.

NURSERY RHYME UNIT
Here a some things I did for my nursery rhyme theme. We made a mobile of the cow jumping over the moon for Hey Diddle Diddle, for Humpty Dumpty, I cut out oval shapes and had the kids tear construction paper and glue it to the shape. (Trying to put Humpty Dumpty together again. We also make mittens for the Three Little Kittens out of different patterns and matched them up.

NURSERY BOX
Submitted by Marilyn
here is an idea my haircutter shared with me from her son's preschool class.
her son's teacher took a cube shaped tissue box and covered it with plain contact paper.  then she glued different pictures on the sides.  For example, one side had a spider, one side a bus, one side a teapot, etc.  Each day, at
circle time, one child is selected to toss the cube and whatever picture side comes up is the side they sing.  The spider picture/Itsy Bitsy Spider, the bus/Wheels on the bus, the Teapot/I'm a little teapot.  You all get the idea.
This seems like such a cute and simple thing to do.  I am sure it is easy to expand on the idea, but making different cubes for different times of the year, such as the holidays.

Hey, Diddle, Diddle
When it comes to knowing position words, your youngsters will be as fit as a fiddle. Seat a group of children on the floor; then provide each child with a moon and a cow cutout. Instruct each child to position the cow over, on, under, and beside the moon. What a "moo-velous" circle-time activity!

NURSERY RHYMES
Submitted by Mary
http://www.littleexplorers.com has nursery rhymes in rebus form.  I have printed these colorful nursery rhymes and used them in the following ways: We use pencils with fun eraser tops as pointers to read the nursery rhymes. Sometimes it is easy to find a pencil that goes with the rhyme, like a heart eraser for The Queen of Hearts. At the writing table I have the the printed rhyme available for my five year olds so they can copy the words and draw pictures.
This is a fun way to review rhymes after a nursery rhyme unit.  Fill a colorful cloth bag with items that represent different nursery rhymes.  For example, a candle for Jack Be Nimble, a plastic egg for Humpty Dumpty, a pretty paper heart for The Queen of Hearts.  Let a child pick an object from the bag and try to guess what rhyme the object goes with.  Then have the child or the class recite the nursery rhyme.

NURSERY RHYMES
Submitted by Betty
We have been doing alot with environmental print lately with my fours.  During our recent Nursery Rhyme unit, we not only filled Old Mother's Cupboard with familiar labels of foods, but each child made his own book of "Going out to eat with Mother Hubbard"  since her cupboard was bare...this was after we brainstormed a number of ways to solve her problem.  We then put in the book, all the familiar fast food restaurant logos that are local to our area. ( no problem asking for 20 or so napkins, bags, or paper wrap from each place...you know how crazy teachers are!!!) The last page is for the child to dictate which one Old Mother Hubbard liked BEST!   Environmental print has really been a big hit!

Re Jack and the Beanstalk/plants
Submitted by Kathy
After reading "Jack and the Beanstalk" to the children have them try growing their own  beanstalk. ( idea from"Kids Garden"
Kidney or pole beans are great for this project give it a tall stick to climb on.
The children can decorate a paper cut out to resemble Jack and place among the leaves of their plant.  The giants are the children
Flower art project (my daughter did this in first grade and I thought perhaps someone could use it)
Materials needed: blue , brown, and green construction construction paper
poster strips labeled: flower,seed, roots, stem, leaves (children at Kindergarten level  and up can make these labels), yarn
Procedure: attach brown(ground or dirt) and blue (sky) construction papers together . Cut stems and leaves from the green construction paper and cut a flower shape from choice color. Assemble flower, at bottom of stem attach white construction paper and glue a few seeds to this paper glue a few strands of yarn vertically from seeds section
Label your picture
Another art project which makes a great gift
Materials needed:small flower pots ( clay),artificial flowers ( cut small sections off to accomodate pot you will find one bunch goes a long way),moss,sponges or styrofoam paint, pencils with new erasers
Procedure:
Have the children paint the rim of the clay pot can make flowers if you use new erasers from pencils dip in paint and press on  pot use another color and make prints around the initial dot (practice on paper first) the children can make different designs with the eraser as a stencil put styrofoam in the pot follow with the  moss ( can get at craft store where the artificial flowers are) and have the children arrange pre cut flowers in the pot.

Old Mother Hubbard
Submitted by Tammy
We recited the rhyme and talked about a few of the words (cupboard and bare).  We talked about some things we might find in our "cupboards" at home.  After our discussions we went to the art table to make our cupboards.
Items Needed
Old coupons and food sales ads
One sheet of construction paper
One sheet of construction paper with a line bisecting it scissors glue
stapler
markers
The kids need to search through the ads for good foods for Mother Hubbard and her dog to eat and cut them out.  They will need to cut the one construction paper on the line.  These will be the cupboard doors.  You can staple them to the other piece of construction paper.  Fold the doors open so the big piece of paper is ready for the kids to glue their food onto.  When they are finished gluing, they can shut the doors and draw doorknobs or handles on their doors.  I wrote the words "Old Mother Hubbard's Cupboard" on the doors just to remind them and the parents of what we were talking about.  The kids really enjoyed opening and closing the cupboard doors.

HUMPTY DUMPTY PUPPET
Submitted by Peg
Cut two large egg shapes from poster board. Using fabric, markers, crayons, or paint, decorate one egg with Humpty's face and body. On the other draw the inside of an egg (yolk and white). Sandwich the 2 eggs toghether with a tongue depressor in between. Say the rhyme - Humpty Dumpty - and dramatize with your puppet.

Title: NURSERY RHYME UNIT
The following cross-curriculum ideas submitted by  Sue
Title:   I SPY - poem
Each peach pear plum
I spy Tom Thumb.
Tom Thumb fast asleep
I spy Bo-Peep.
Bo-Peep around the corner
I spy Jack Horner.
Jack Horner up a pole
I spy King Cole.
King Cole drinking juice
I spy Mother Goose.
Mother Goose gave a shout
That means you are OUT.

Title: SING A SONG OF SIXPENCE ACTIVITIES
First sing the song or read the book
Materials:  Pennie or yellow circles
Process:
Hide gold coins around the room(these could be pennies or just orange circles cut construction paper), let the children try and find the coins, talk about how hard they are to find if hidden on the same colour object
Have pies with numbers and black birds to put in pies,or write numbers on pies and put dots on black birds and match them that way.
Alphabet letters could also be used with upper and lower case letters.
Have a small clothes line and pins for children to hang clothes on in housekeeping area.

Title:   MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB
Dev. Area:  ART
Materials;  LAMB CUT-OUT,  COTTONBALLS, CLOTHES PINS

Process:
Glue cotton balls to lamb shape, if shape is right size it can have clothes pin legs.
Extensions:
-  Discuss other things that are white.
-  Play a game called List where one person would name something
white, and the next person names something different that is white.

DRAMATIC PLAY WITH MARY HAD LITTLE LAMB
We take them a step further though. We act them all out, changing them as we go along.   Mary not only had a little lamb but she had a pig, cat, cow (as many animals as you have children) who also followed her to school. We ask each animal why they wanted to follow Mary.  We ask Mary how it feels to have the animals follow her.  There is a Principal as well and he/she is asked why animals are not allowed in school.  Some Principals may say the animals are welcome.  Anyway you get the idea and all the children have fun pretending.

Title:  LITTLE BOY BLUE
Dev. Area:  SNACK
Make haystacks for snack which is just chinese noodles mixed with melted chocolate and put on wax paper in small clumps that resemble hay stacks.
Dev. Area: ART
Make horns from toilet paper rolls. Put wax paper on one end and
secure with a rubber band. Use as a kazoo.

Title: Little Miss Muffet Spider Cookies
Following cross-curriculum ideas submitted by Cherylin
Cooking
Materials:  Refrigerated cookie dough, foil squares (one for each child), pretzel sticks, M&M candies
Place a 1/4 inch slice of cookie dough on each foil square.  Direct each child to break four pretzel sticks in half and press eight halves into opposite sides of the slice.  Then have each child press two M&M candies into each slice to resemble eyes.  Place the foil squares on tray and bake according to package instructions.

Title: Little Miss Muffet Spider Finger Puppet
Art
Materials:  2" styrofoam ball,  paint (various colors), pipe cleaners, and kitchen knife for teacher, wiggly eyes

Use the kitchen knife to press a finger size hole into styrofoam ball.  Have children paint their ball the color of their choice. When dry have child press in eight pipe cleaner legs and glue on wiggly eyes.

Title:  Little Miss Muffet (Song)
(Tune: Clementine)
"Oh, Miss Muffet, oh, Miss Muffet
Oh Hello! How do you do?
I'm a small and friendly spider
May I sit down here with you?

Little spider, little spider
Oh Hello! How do you do?
You're a small and friendly spider
Sit beside me, won't you please?"

Suggested Reading: Miss Spider's Tea Party