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.