Birds, Bees and Butterflies!

Beauty in the Garden
by Edmund Dulac, 1910

Since it is spring, at least that's what the calendar says, if not the weather, I thought I would share some of the cute fingerplays and songs from my lapsit program. Of course, I have also added some folktales, crafts, and lesson plans. I hope you find something fun to add some warmth to your day!

COUNTING AND FINGERPLAYS

Five Little Bees

One little bee blew and flew.
He met a friend, and that made two.
Two little bees, busy as could be
Along came another and that made three.
Three little bees, wanted one more,
Found one soon and that made four.
Four little bees, going to the hive.
Spied their little brother, and that made five.

Five little bees working every hour--
Buzz away, bees, and find another flower.

Five Little Birds

Five little birds without any home,
(raise 5 fingers of right hand)
Five little trees in a row.
(raise right hand high over head)
Come and build your nests in our branches tall
(cup left hand for nest-right fingers in)
We'll rock you to and fro.
(then rock both hands)

SONGS

Insect Song (Sung to "The Wheels on the Bus")
The firefly at night goes blink blink blink
Blink blink blink blink blink blink
The firefly at night goes blink blink blink
All around the town

The bees in the flowers go buzz buzz buzz....
The ants in the grass go march march march...
The crickets in the leaves go chirp chirp chirp...
The caterpillar in the field goes creep creep creep....

STORY STRETCH

Little Butterfly (sung to I'm A Little Teapot)
I'm a little butterfly
I have wings
I fly around
And see all things.
When I see a flower
That looks great
I call out to all my mates!
To all of my mates.

 

Butterfly, Butterfly (To the tune of Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear)

Butterfly butterfly turn around,
Butterfly butterfly touch the ground,
Butterfly butterfly fly way up high,
Butterfly butterfly fly fly fly
Butterfly butterfly turn around
Butterfly butterfly float back down.

STORIES

The Bear and the Bees - Aesop
https://fablesofaesop.com/bear-bees.html 

The Bird of Folklore – Hans Christina Andersen

https://andersen.sdu.dk/vaerk/hersholt/TheBirdOfFolklore_e.html

The Butterfly Lovers - China
https://www.viewofchina.com/a-love-story-of-butterflies/

The Butterfly Soul - Japan
https://ztevetevans.wordpress.com/2020/09/09/japanese-folktales-the-butterfly-soul/

Bunnyyarl the Flies and Wurrunnunnah the Bees - Australian

http://worldoftales.com/Australian_folktales/Australian_folktale_27.html

The Butterfly – Hans Christian Andersen
https://www.storyberries.com/fairy-tales-the-butterfly-by-hans-christian-andersen/

The Cricket’s Song - Guatemala
https://www.weingartdesign.com/TMaS/Stories/tmas2-Cricket.html

How Butterflies Came to Be - Philippines

http://folktales.webmanila.com/folktales/animals/?butterflies

How the King of Birds Was Chosen - Mayan 
https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA19147416&sid=sitemap&v=2.1&it=r&p=EAIM&sw=w&userGroupName=mlin_oweb&isGeoAuthType=true&aty=geo

The Language of the Birds - Russia
https://sacred-texts.com/neu/ftr/chap03.htm

The Princess Lily – China
http://cracklemountain.blogspot.com/2006/07/princess-lily-chinese-folktale.html

The Queen Bee – Germany
http://www.authorama.com/grimms-fairy-tales-38.html

The Turtle and the Birds - Sudan
https://www.southsudanesefolktales.org/?project=the-turtle-and-the-birds#turtletread

The Wings of the Butterfly - Brazil
http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/030.html

BOOKS

The Beautiful Butterfly: A Folktale from Spain retold by Judy Sierra.

https://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-Butterfly-Folktale-Spain/dp/0395900158

Butterfly House by Eve Bunting.

https://tinyurl.com/hs737dwx

Coyote and the Laughing Butterflies retold by Harry Peck Taylor
https://tinyurl.com/fvwb2fba

CRAFTS

Butterfly and Caterpillar Crafts – Many adorable crafts to choose from.

http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/insects/butterflies.htm

Bug Jars - Children will learn to look at the details of bugs and plants as they learn about symmetry and asymmetry. This is a craft and lesson plan all in one!

https://kinderart.com/art-lessons/drawing/drawing-bugs-jars/

Three Easy Bird Feeders To Make With Kids
https://runwildmychild.com/easy-bird-feeders-kids/

CURRICULUM

Learning About Birds – Hands on, interactive learning. Multiple resources for a variety of grade levels.
https://www.georgiaaudubon.org/learning-about-birds-curriculum.html

Honey Bees and Cultural Attitudes - Grades: 4-6 Essential Skills: Literature, Language Arts, Social Studies Students explore how honey bees are portrayed in art and literature. It also offers a comprehensive and age appropriate bibliography at the end. http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/insects/ahb/lsn25.html

JUST FOR FUN

Nurturing Nature with Natives Coloring Book
https://www.georgiaaudubon.org/uploads/1/1/2/7/112764233/nurturing_nature_with_natives__1_.pdf


SOMETHING EXTRA

Birds in Superstition and Folklore
https://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2017/10/birds-in-superstition-and-folklore.html

Folklore of Butterflies                                                                https://seasonwords.com/2021/06/16/folklore-of-butterflies/

Myth and Moor – The Folklore of Birds
https://www.terriwindling.com/blog/2020/05/the-folklore-of-birds.html

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2021 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

 

Five Speckled Frogs and So Much More!

The Frog Prince
by Maxfield Parrish

April is National Frog Month so I thought I would share some of the fun we had with frogs in my lapsit program at the National Historic Whaling Park.

Below are a few of the  fingerplays, songs and a book suggestion to complement your frog program. And of course, there must be stories!

In April of 2010 I wrote a blog post, It's Not Easy Being Green, that is jumping with frog tales! You can find it here:

https://karenchace.blogspot.com/2010/04/its-not-easy-being-green-frog-tales.html


COUNTING AND FINGERPLAYS

Five Green and Speckled Frogs
Five green and speckled frogs,
Sat on a speckled log,
Eating some most delicious bugs
YUM YUM!

One jumped down in the pool,
Where it was nice and cool,
Now there's just four green speckled frogs
Continue until there are no more green and speckled frogs!

Croak Said the Frog

Croak said the frog, (Make croaking sound)
With his golden eyes. (Fists up to eyes)
Sitting on a lily pad, catching flies. (Grab air with hand)
I have a sticky tongue, (With index finger make darting motion)
It’s a FAST as can be.
I catch the mosquitoes, 1-2-3.

BOOK

The children loved this popup book! The Wide Mouthed Frog by Keith Faulkner.

SONG

I Have a Little Frog
I have a little frog
His name is Tiny Tim,
I put him in the bathtub,
To see if he could swim,
He drank up all the water,
And gobbled up the soap!
And when he tried to talk
He had a BUBBLE in his throat!

Down By the Banks of the Hanky Panky

Down on the banks of the hanky panky
where the bullfrogs jump from bank to banky
with a hip hop flipity flop
with hip hop flipity flop
he missed the bank and he went kerplop

STORY STRETCH

Five Little Froggies
Five little froggies sat on a shore
(children crouch in a row like frogs)
One went for a swim then there were four
(First frog leaps, swims off)
Four little froggies looked happy as can be
One went swimming and then there were three
Three little froggies said "What can we do?"
(Children repeat)
One jumped in the water then there were two
Two little froggies sat in the sun
One swam off and then there was one
One little froggie said "This is no fun!"
(Last frog repeats)
He dived in the water and then there were none.

Six Little Frogs (tune: "Six Little Ducks")
Six little frogs that I once knew,
Green ones, brown ones, red ones, too.
But the one bullfrog with the freckles on his throat,
He ruled them all with a croak, croak, croak.

Down to the blue pond they would go,
Hop, jump, hop, jump, to and fro.
But the one bullfrog with the freckles on his throat,
He ruled them all with a croak, croak, croak.

Home from the river they would come.Hop, jump, hop, jump, to and fro.
But the one bullfrog with the freckles on his throat,
He ruled them all with a croak, croak, croak.
But the one bullfrog with the freckles on his throat,
He ruled them all with a croak, croak, croak.

Karen Chace 2012 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Every Day Should Be Earth Day!

The Moon Maiden of Green Willow
by Warwick Goble, 1920

"The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard."
Gaylord Nelson (1916-2005), founder of Earth Day

Earth Day is April 22 and Arbor Day is April 27.  What better way to celebrate than sharing stories about our beautiful planet?

STORIES

The Circle of Life and the Clambake - A lovely story from the Wampanoag culture that encompasses the circle of life and caring for the earth.
http://tinyurl.com/kpdyaq

Earth Cakes, Sky Cakes – Folktale from Cambodia
http://tinyurl.com/dy6dsv

The Haudenosaunee Creation Story - Iroquois/Native American
https://www.oneidaindiannation.com/the-haudenosaunee-creation-story/

The Owl and the Deer - Cambodia

http://www.mekongwatch.org/peoplestory/zone1-story6.html

When The Earth and Sky Were Married - India
http://tinyurl.com/cw34y8

Why is the Sky So Far Away – Nigeria
https://reelrani.wordpress.com/2017/01/10/why-is-the-sky-so-far-away-an-african-folktale/

STORY COLLECTIONS

The Earth Stories Collection – “a cultural seed bank, a base of global educational resources for the construction (or reconstruction) of a deeply sustainable global society, based on social and economic justice, and values of peace and democracy; that is, the values of the Earth Charter.” Under the Principal sections 1-16 you will find stories to fit many areas including Ecological Integrity, Social Responsibility, and more.
https://theearthstoriescollection.org/en/earth-stories/

Forest Stories – 7 Tales from far-away lands - “Stories of forests, rivers, mountains, deserts and magical beings who call these places home. Journey to amazing places through these short stories and learn the wisdom of the forest.”
https://healingforest.org/2019/10/26/forest-stories/ 

Plants, Animals, Salt and Spirits: How People Live, Work and Talk About the Environment in Rural Cambodia, Laos and Thailand - The People’s Stories Project, launched in 2014 with three purposes: “ (1) To record legends, old tales, folklore and narratives, and access the local knowledge and experience over natural resource use…(2) To develop an environmental education tool kit…to bring about better governance of local resources, and; (3) To convey knowledge of local natural resource use and the richness of the world …providing a new point of view for observing natural resource management in the Mekong Region.”
http://www.mekongwatch.org/PDF/Booklet_PeopleStory.pdf

BOOKS

Earth Care – World Folktales to Talk About
A limited preview of this excellent book by Margaret ReadMacDonald. You can read some of the folktales online, but I know you will want a copy of your own. I know, I have it on my shelf!
http://tinyurl.com/aap7ug

Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children by Michael J. Caduto and JosephBruchac. “Beginning with Native American stories, this invaluable resource provides hands-on activities that inspire children to understand and appreciate Native American cultures and the Earth.”
https://www.amazon.com/Keepers-Earth-American-Environmental-Activities/dp/1555913857 

CRAFTS 

Enchanted Learning - Earth Day activities, crafts, and projects. 
https://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/earthday/

Housing A Forest – 20 Earth Day crafts and activities for kids. 
http://www.housingaforest.com/20-earth-day-crafts-and-activities-for-kids/

iheartcraftythings.com – 25 Earth Day Day crafts for kids. 
https://iheartcraftythings.com/25-earth-day-crafts-for-kids.html

CURRICULUM

Edutopia.org - Earth Day: Lesson Plans, Reading Lists, and Classroom Ideas - Resources from around the web. There is so much valuable information at this site you could be here for days. 
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/earth-day-lesson-plans-matt-davis

Field Trip Earth - A global resource for teachers, students and wildlife proponents offering educator resources, essays, and information on conservation projects around the world. 
https://fieldtripearth.org

The History Behind Earth Day 
https://www.earthday.org/history/

Planet Pals.com - This is a colorful, fun and information filled website on all things Earth: Lesson plans and activities for both teachers and parents, the history behind Earth Day, coloring pages, puzzles, clip art and so much more. 
http://www.planetpals.com/index.html 

SCHOLARLY ARTICLE

The Concept of Environment in Folktales from Different Cultures
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1060556.pdf

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

 

Karen Chace 2012 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Spring Is Here: Make Way for Ducklings!

Photo used with the generous permission of
Lorianne DiSabato at
http://hoardedordinaries.wordpress.com/

Since January I have been sharing a weekly lapsit program at the New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park in Massachusetts.  This has been a challenge for me, very different from my regular storytelling program. Sometimes I am able to slip in a story I tell but then there are also days when I read directly from a book to the children.

I developed a different theme for each week, researching some fingerplays, songs and story stretchers to add to the program. Below  are some of the additions I found for my Duck Theme to add a bit of silly fun to your programs!  Of course there are also stories and more. I will be sharing more of the themes along the way so stay tuned!

FINGERPLAYS

Five Little Ducks & Five Little Quail

Five little ducks went out to play (Wiggle five fingers on one hand)

And met five quail that came their way. (Wiggle five fingers on other hand.)
The five little quail went to get a snack (put quail hand behind back.)
And the five little ducks went quack, quack, quack (use hand to form duck bill)

Five Little Ducks

Five little ducks, went out to play (hold up five fingers)

over the hills, and far away, (hold hand to eyebrows)
When the mother duck went "Quack Quack Quack"
(motion "quack" with your hand)
Four little Ducks came waddling back.
(make wings with arms and move elbows up and down)
Continue to count down until there are no little ducks then sing:
No little ducks went out to play,
Over the hills and far away,
When the father duck went "QUACK, QUACK, QUACK",
Five little ducks came waddling back.

Look, Look, Look

Look, look, look (shade eyes)

Three ducks in a brook. (Hold up three fingers)
One is white, and one is brown.
One is swimming upside down. (Point to a finger each time)
Look, look, look (shade eyes)
Three ducks in a brook. (Hold up three fingers)

SONG AND STORY STRETCH

Three Little Ducks That I Once Knew

Three little ducks that I once knew.
A fat one, a skinny one, a yellow one too.
But the one little duck with a feather on his back
He ruled the others with his quack, quack, quack!
Quack, quack, quack.
He ruled the other with his quack, quack, quack.

Down to the meadow they would go.
Wibble, wobble, wibble, wobble to and fro.
But the one little duck with the feathers on his back.
He led the others with his quack, quack.
Quack, quack, quack.
He led the others with his quack, quack, quack.

Home from the river they would come.
Wibble, wobble, wibble wobble, ho, hum.
But the one little duck with the feather on his back.
He led the others with his quack, quack, quack.
Quack, quack, quack.
He led the others with his quack, quack, quack.

The Little Ducklings

All the little ducklings
Line up in a row. (Stand up)
Quack, quack, quack, And away they go.(Hands and thumbs together with both hands)

CHORUS

They follow their mother, (put hands behind as a tail waddle)
Waddling to and fro.
Quack, quack, quack And away they go.

CHORUS

Down to the big pond
Happy as can be. (smile)
Quack, quack, quack They are full of glee.

CHORUS

They jump in the water (jump up and down)
And bob up and down,
Quack, quack, quack, they swim all around. (swimming motion)

CHORUS

All the little ducklings
Swimming far away. (swimming motion)
Quack, quack, quack, They'll play another day.

STORIES

Coyote vs. Duck – Native American
http://tinyurl.com/6pzajqz

How the Sacred Duck Got His Yellow Breast - Tibet
http://www.sacred-texts.com/asia/tft/tft33.htm 

Ikotomi and the Ducks – Native American
http://tinyurl.com/7bnvj7o

How Lox Deceived the Ducks, Cheated the Chief, and Beguiled the Bear – Native American/Micmac
http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/ne/al/al39.htm

Quackling – France
http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/042.html

The Falcon and the Duck – Native American/Blackfoot
http://www.native-languages.org/blackfootstory.htm

The Golden Duck: The Story of Prince Raduz and the Faithful Ludmila- Czechoslovakia
http://www.worldoftales.com/European_folktales/Czechoslovak_folktale_14.html

The Portuguese Duck – Han Christian Andersen
http://hca.gilead.org.il/por_duck.html

Feeding the Ducks by Mary Cassatt, 1895

The Tortoise and the Ducks - Aesop
http://tinyurl.com/kbtageb   

The Twelve Wild Ducks – Norway
https://www.surlalunefairytales.com/books/norway/twelvewildducks.html

The White Duck – Russia

https://russian-crafts.com/russian-folk-tales/the-white-duck.html

Story of the Duck with the Golden Eggs- Russia
http://tinyurl.com/656x5gu

The Ugly Duckling - German
https://tinyurl.com/4uxbeas3 

BOOKS

Make Way for Ducklings - The Caldecott award-winning book by Robert McCloskey. "First published in 1941, the book tells the story of a pair of mallard ducks who decide to raise their family on an island in the lagoon in Boston Public Garden, a park in the center of Boston, Massachusetts. The book's popularity led to the construction of a statue by Nancy Schön (see picture at the top of the blog post) in the Public Garden of the mother duck and her eight ducklings, which is a popular destination for children and adults alike. The book is the official children's book of Massachusetts." * Information supplied by Wikipedia.

For more children's books about ducks head over to Barnes and Noble at this link: 
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/ducks?_requestid=334363

CRAFTS

12 Of The Cutest Duck Crafts for Kids
https://www.kidslovewhat.com/12-of-the-cutest-duck-crafts-for-kids/

Summer Pond Duck Craft – This is an adorable craft! It will take time and might be perfect for a library craft where children can return to finish it, or in the classroom.
http://tinyurl.com/6vqep4g

Duck Crafts and Learning Activities
https://www.daniellesplace.com/html/duckcrafts.html    

CURRICULUM

Ducks Unlimited Educators – Conservation lesson plans for grades 4 – 12.
http://www.greenwing.org/dueducator/lesson_plans.html  

Ducks Unlimited Educators in Canada
http://www.ducks.ca/resources/educators/

First School – Curriculum and crafts for preschoolers.
http://www.first-school.ws/theme/animals/birds/duck.htm

Make Way for Ducklings Lesson Plan – This complements the Caldecott winning book of the same name.
http://tinyurl.com/75t8zl2


Karen Chace 2012 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.

Writer, Poet, Paper Artist: Hans Christian Andersen

Paper Cutting
 by Hans Christian Andersen

“Life itself is the most
wonderful fairytale of all.”
~  Hans Christian Andersen

Today is the birthday of famous Danish author, poet and fairy tale writer, Hans Christian Andersen. His poetry and stories have been translated into more than 150 languages.

 “Shortly before his death, he consulted a composer about the music for his funeral, saying: "Most of the people who will walk after me will be children, so make the beat keep time with little steps." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Christian_Andersen

I always think of Hans Christian Andersen as a writer of fairytales, but he was also an amazingly talented paper cutter. He also carried a bag with paper and a large pair of scissors which he used to cut out the gorgeous figures like this one to the left.

As a child, one of my favorite movies was the 1952 film Hans Christian Anderson with Danny Kaye in the title role. It includes many of Andersen’s famous children's stories: Thumbelina, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and The Little Mermaid. With my bright red hair and freckles I empathized with the young boy in  the film where he shares the story of The Ugly Duckling.

Hans Christian Andersen's Life and Works - Research, texts and information. http://www.andersen.sdu.dk/index_e.html

STORIES

Wonder Stories Told for Children by Hans Christian Andersen.

https://www.gatewaytotheclassics.com/browse/display.php?author=andersen&book=wonder&story=_contents 

The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen – This book is now a free download from Project Gutenberg.  
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27200


CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES

Hans Christian Anderson Crafts – From the Dundee Library in the United Kingdom four fun items to celebrate the day. Try your hand at a Little Mermaid mobile, The Princess and the Pea maze, or the Ugly Ducking and Swan Craft.

Coloring Page:
http://www.leisureandculturedundee.com/sites/default/files/frogprincecolour.pdf

Little Mermaid Mobile

http://www.leisureandculturedundee.com/sites/default/files/mermaid.pdf

Ugly Duckling and Swan Craft

http://www.leisureandculturedundee.com/sites/default/files/swan.pdf

The Princess and the Pea Maze
http://www.leisureandculturedundee.com/sites/default/files/princessmaze.pdf


LESSON PLANS

Edsitement – Lesson plans and extensions for five of Hans Christian Andersen’s stories.
http://tinyurl.com/86a97mc

Lesson Planet – A wide variety of lesson plans related to Hans Christian Andersen from K-8. There is a free trial for this site and a subscription fee afterwards.

http://www.lessonplanet.com/lesson-plans/hans-christian-andersen

JUST FOR FUN

Andersen Fairy Tales – Stories and interactive games for children.
http://www.andersenfairytales.com/en/main

SOMETHING EXTRA

National Association of Writers in Education: Andersen’s scissors: Cutting his own shape
“This article, which focuses on an interpretation and rereading of a well-known children’s tale by Hans Christian Andersen and his lesser known paper cut outs, developed initially out of a series of talks focusing on early narratives and fairy stories…”
https://www.nawe.co.uk/DB/wip-editions/articles/andersens-scissors-cutting-his-own-shape.html

Myth and Moor – Hans Christian Andersen: Father of the Modern Fairy Tale
https://www.terriwindling.com/mythic-arts/hca.html

Please note, websites change at a rapid pace and weblinks may change or break without notice. I cannot be responsible for redirected or broken links.  At the time of this posting all links were in working order. Thank you for understanding.

Karen Chace 2012 ©

This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.