Down on the Farm

Another post in our series based on the activities at the Stay and Play group we go to. This post is based on helping children learn about farm animals.

Activity Ideas

• Visit a farm
• Play listening games e.g. Cock-a-doodle Moo!
• Make a farm collage - cotton wool makes great sheep, stick on feathers for ducks, use real grass, leaves and twigs to creat the fields and foil to create a pond
• Play with farm animals or finger puppets

Books

• The Usborne Farmyard Tales collection by Heather Amery
• 1001 Things to Spot on the Farm by Gillian Doherty
• Muddle Farm by Axel Scheffler
• Noisy Farm by Rod Campbell
• Farm Animals (Usborne Beginner Series) by Katie Daynes

Songs and Rhymes
In addition to the many songs and rhymes about individual farm animals for example; Baa Baa Black Sheep, Five Little Ducks and This Little Piggy went to Market, there are lots of songs farm animals collectively.

Old MacDonald had a Farm
Old MacDonald had a Farm
E-i-e-i-o
And on that farm he had a [pick a farm animal]
E-i-e-i-o
With a [animal noise][animal noise] here and a [animal noise][animal noise] there
Here a [animal noise], there a [animal noise], everywhere a [animal noise][animal noise]
Old MacDonald had a Farm
E-i-e-i-o

I went to visit a Farm one Day
I went to visit a farm one day I saw a [farm animal] across the way
And what do you think I heard it say?
[Animal noise],[animal noise],[animal noise],
[Animal noise],[animal noise],[animal noise],[animal noise],
That's the way it goes
[Animal noise],[animal noise],[animal noise],[animal noise],
Everybody knows.

Repeat these songs as many times as you want using, cows, sheep, ducks, horses, pigs and any other farm animal you can think of.

Last Chance...

to enter our competition and to get your bargains in our January sale today!

Walking through the Jungle

Children love jungle animals and there are lots of different ways you can encorporate jungle animals into children's play and learning. Children's stories are often technically incorrect when talking about jungle animals as they generally include animals of from the african plains /savannah.




Activity ideas:

• Visit a zoo and look at the animals
• Create a collage of all your favourite animals
• Play with zoo animal finger puppets or toy animals
• Look at the patterns on different animals skin - which ones are spotty / stripey
• Talk about the noises the different animals make

Books:
Some of our favourite books related to jungle animals are:

• Walking through the Jungle by Julie Lacome
• Rumble in the Jungle by Giles Andreae
• Down in the Jungle by Elisa Squillace
• Peekaboo Jungle! by Emily Bolam

Songs and Rhymes:
There are many different songs that include jungle animals for example:

Five Little Monkeys

Five little monkeys swinging in a tree
Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....
Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......
And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!

Four little monkeys swinging in a tree,
Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....
Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......
And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!

Three little monkeys swinging in a tree,
Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....
Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......
And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!

Two little monkeys swinging in a tree,
Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....
Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......
And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!

One little monkey swinging in a tree,
Teasing the alligators, you can catch me, you can catch me....
Along came a alligator quiet as can be.......
And snapped that monkey right out of that tree!
No little monkeys swinging in a tree

The Elephant

The elephant goes like this and that
He’s terribly big and terribly fat
He’s got no fingers and he’s got no toes
But goodness gracious what a big nose

Sale Now On!

We are pleased to announce that the January Sale has now started at Littlesheep Learning, there are savings on all the Orchard Toys Games, lots of Usborne books and lots of other things. There are savings of up to 50% - Some are discontinued lines so won't be restocked, some have damaged packaging and others are just a fabulous deal! Take a look!

January Competition

Win a Goldilocks and the Three Bears Puppet Set. This lovely four puppet story set comes with a detailed story card to help you tell the story. Goldilocks is a walking finger puppet which means you can put your fingers down the back of her legs to make her walk and the three bears are traditional finger puppets. This lovely story set, comes in a see-through PVC handy storage bag and is great for children learning traditional tales or beginning role play activities.

To be in with a chance of winning this puppet set please email us the answer to the following question:
What colour is Granny's shawl in the Red Riding Hood Story Puppets Set?

Competition closes on 31st January 2008.