Let’s Go Home, Little Bear

.

Listen and watch the story book here.

Three cheers for this wonderful picture book from Martin Waddell. This book is also a warm tale of togetherness, and a powerful message of the grown up providing a protecting and caring environment. I remember times with my own children, when going out for walks in the woods. There are some strange sounds there and if you have no idea what made those sounds, it can be rather scary. In this book, I like how Big Bear told a story about those sounds at the end of the book.

About the Author: Martin Waddell His series on Little Bear and Farmer Duck are his most famous, but Mr. Waddell has written many, many other books as well (214+). Under his own name he publishes mysteries, ghost stories, light comedies, and picture books for children. As Catherine Sefton he has written more complex, emotionally charged books for young adults, several of which are ghost stories while others are political novels.
To see more of Martin Waddell’s books, visit his Amazon Author page.

About the Illustrator: Barbara Firth Her lifelike drawings has make these books a favorite of mine. They are some of the very few children’s books I have found to depict life like bears. These drawings are soft, soothing and winsome. Barbara Firth began drawing when she was three years old. Since then, she illustrated numerous award-winning picture books, including the Big Bear and Little Bear series, written by Martin Waddell. She lived in Middlesex, England.
To see more of Barbara Firth, visit her Goodreads page.

Enrichment Activities

Cause and Effect
The sun melted the ice – dripping sound
The sun softened the snow on the tree branches – plopping sound
Big Bear’s feet walking through the snow – plodding sound

Compare and Contrast  City and Forest Environments

City Environment photo credit: en.wikipedia.org

Forest Enviroment Photo credit: en.wikipedia.org

Talk About It
What made the plodding sound?
What made the dripping sound?
What made the plopping sound?
What made the woo woo woo sound?
What made the creak, creak, creak sound?

Develop Listening Skills Activities

photo credit: quickbase.intuit.com

Help your child to develop their listening and identification skills. These skills are not learned automatically, but re so essential to becoming a good learner. Make learning this skill fun.

What made that sound?
Using Shakers
Use opaque containers and put different objects in them to shake. Some examples for fills could be sand, pebbles, marbles, coins, water, rice. Have your child shake the container to see if they can identify the contents. Somehow mark the bottom of the container so the child can identify if they are correct or not in their guess.
Using a Tape Recorder
Record a variety of sounds from around your house with which your child is familiar. Examples, water running, pouring milk, clock, timer, furnace, washing machine, etc. Have the child try to identify the sound or what made it.

Play Simon Says
This is a fun way to play listen and follow. Child only does an action if the instruction begins with “Simon says”. Take turns being the leader.

A Walk in the Outdoors
No matter if you live in the city or the country, you can take a walk outdoors to identify sounds.

A Walk in the Country Photo Credit: Image ID : 19313825 Copyright : Dave Broberg

Country: birds singing – traffic sounds – gravel under your feet – water in a stream – wind in the trees or grass – geese or ducks overhead

A Walk in the City Photo Credit: Image ID : 19531317 Copyright : Cathy Yeulet

City: What do you hear? -Ambulance – Airplane – Helicopter – dog barking – birds singing – wind in the trees – horn honking – motorcycle – garbage truck – sirens –gravel under your feet – lawnmower – geese or ducks overhead

More Activities for Developing Listening Skills

Listening Activities For Young Children

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Crafts

Make some listening ears for those times when your child may need a reminder that they need to be using their listening skills!

A fun Elephant “Listening Ears” Photo/Craft Credit: Website: http://bit.ly/1IH4d0G

A fun headband of Just Ears Photo credit: http://bit.ly/1IH5fK5

Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear? Enrichment Activities

A look at Martin Waddell’s Picture Book Can’t You Sleep Little Bear? This is a warm tale of togetherness, and is a powerful message of the grown up providing a protecting and caring environment. A very comforting story for your little one.
About the Author: Martin Waddell His series on Little Bear and Farmer Duck are his most famous, but Mr. Waddell has written many, many other books as well (214+). Under his own name he publishes mysteries, ghost stories, light comedies, and picture books for children. As Catherine Sefton he has written more complex, emotionally charged books for young adults, several of which are ghost stories while others are political novels.
To see more of Martin Waddell’s books, visit his Amazon Author page.
About the Illustrator: Barbara Firth Her lifelike drawings has make these books a favorite of mine. They are some of the very few children’s books I have found to depict life like bears. These drawings are soft, soothing and winsome. Barbara Firth began drawing when she was three years old. Since then, she illustrated numerous award-winning picture books, including the Big Bear and Little Bear series, written by Martin Waddell. She lived in Middlesex, England.
To see more of Barbara Firth, visit her Goodreads page.

CAN’T YOU SLEEP. LITTLE BEAR?

This wonderful Children’s Picture Book is for Playschool to Grade Two (3-7 year olds).
We have all had a child who has difficulty sleeping and is afraid of the dark. Big Bear tries to help Little Bear by showing him that the dark is nothing to be afraid of. He lights lanterns, but they are not enough to quell Little Bear’s fear as he can see the dark beyond the light. Big Bear then offers the light of the bright moon and the stars. This is a very comforting story for your little ones, and belongs in every babsitter’s handbag!

ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

Talk About It
Why can’t Little Bear sleep? I wonder why he’s scared of the dark? Ask your little one if they have ever been scared of the dark?
Cause and Effect
Why did Big Bear get the lantern? (because Little Bear was afraid of the dark) Why couldn’t Little Bear fall asleep? (he was surrounded by the dark). Why did Big Bear take Little Bear outside? (to show him the moon and the stars). Did Big Bear taking Little Bear outside help Little Bear sleep?
Compare and Contrast
Big Bear and Little Bear. Day and Night or Light and Dark.
Fact or Fiction
Do real bears sleep in caves?
Do real bears read books or sit in chairs/
Craft

Make a bear in a den picture. Also uses a paper plate. almostunschoolers.com

Make a paper plate bear family. twoofakindworkingonafullhouse.blogspot.com

Play / Games / Act It Out
Build a cave from blankets and chairs/couch and make a pallet bed on the floor. Have a chair, lantern and a pretend fire. Act out the story with your little ones.
Action Song
“We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”

Watch as Michael Rosen performs from his book Here
This book can be purchased through Amazon.com

Real Bears and Caves (North American Bears)

 There are only 3 kinds of bears in North America. Black Bears, which come in colours of black, brown and blond/white.  Brown Bears, the coastal version is refereed to as Kodiak and the inland version is called Grizzly.  Polar Bears which come in a yellow/white and are marine mammals.

Polar Bears at play. Note the smaller heads and long necks as well as larger flat front feet; all designed to help them swim.

Polar Bear cubs in a snow den http://www.corbisimages.com

an adult North American Black Bear

A yearling cup in the den http://www.bear.org

Brown Bear. Both Kokiak and Grizzly Bears have the hump on top at the shoulders. Ears are smaller and rounded. somerandomphotos.blogspot.com

A cross view of a bear’s den http://www.damncoolpictures.com

The Kissing Hand…Make Books Come Alive #4

For Children, acting out a book, or other activities is a way to expand imaginations, develop language, explore drama, promote literacy and build vocabulary.

So, are you using your children’s story books as a springboard into play?  Children love books and want to read them over and over..and over!  So use play as a way to expand and enrich their book experience.

Oh, and it is just plain fun !

Want to try something new and fun?  Choose a book, for this post, lets choose, “The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn.

Don’t have the book at home?  NO worries, you can watch and listen to it (and others) on You Tube at “Nook Online Storytime.”  use this link:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=nook+online+storytime

The Kissing Hand Activities

               

What a great book! This book is so helpful in preparing children to be away from home or from their parent/s. The occasion may be their first day at school, or a sleepover, summer camp, a parent or child being hospitalized, being babysat while parents go out, or for foster children who miss their parents. Whenever there is a time a child will be away from you and feels scared, read this book with them, if possible.

Enrichment Activities

Language Development:

Feelings.  Nervous, happy, sad, glad, mad, upset, warm, sleepy, super, sick, shy, scared, angry

       

How did mother’s kiss make Chester feel ? (toasty warm inside)

How did Chester feel at the beginning of the story? Why did he feel that way?

Did the kiss help Chester when he was at school?

Why did Chester kiss his mother’s hand?

Feeling Activity:

Using a mirror, what does your face look like when you feel: happy, sad, angry, sleepy, surprised…

How about using the camera and take your child’s feeling photos to use with the feelings chart?

Make a feelings chart for family members.  How do you feel today? Here are two ideas that could help you make up your own.  For my house, I need to consider space!

Let’s Bake

Make heart shaped cookies or hand shape ones, if you have a cookie cutter that shape.  Place a Hershey’s kiss in the middle of either one.

Crafts

Potato art stamps, finger paint hand print art,paper plate mask, paper bag racoon,

Temporary Tattoos

You Will Need:

Parchment Paper (wax paper),Pencil, Marker (regular or permanent) Wet sponge  Note: regular marker will wash off easily.  Permanent marker will last longer (but will not wash off as easily!)

Draw hearts on the parchment with pencil, then completely colour them in with the pencil.  On top of the pencil shading, use a marker, of any colour, to completely cover over it.  Now, flip the parchment over and place the drawing on a smooth area of the body.  The marker colour needs to be against the skin.  Place a wet (not too wet) sponge over the parchment and wait 30 seconds.  S L O W L Y peel off the parchment from the skin.  Hurrah, you have made a temporary tattoo!

I do hope you and your family enjoy these activities from The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.

Next Week:  My own book, Kieran the Pirate.

Photos courtesy of: Book cover: vickiblackwell.com  Scared Girl: riskychronicles.com  Sad Baby: face-and-emotion.com   Angry Boy: indianapublicmedia.org  Happy Boy: cleo deLancey personal photo  1st Feelings Chart: kidpointz.com  2nd Feelings Chart:https://www.etsy.com/listing/176328005/feelings-chart-children-feelings-chart  The Kissing Hand Craftivity: teacherspayteachers.com  Paper Bag Racoon : ditk-kids.com   Paper Plate Racoon Mask: blogs.familyeducation.com  Poem and Hand Art: whenlifehandsyouabrokenheart.blogspot.com   Potato Print: laughingkidslearn.com  Temporary  Tattoo: MeriCherry.com

The Mitten…Make Books Come Alive #3

For Children, acting out a book, or other activities is a way to expand imaginations, develop language, explore drama, promote literacy and build vocabulary.

So, are you using your children’s story books as a springboard into play?  Children love books and want to read them over and over..and over!  So use play as a way to expand and enrich their book experience.

Want to try something new and fun?  Choose a book, for this post, lets choose, “The Mitten” by Jan Brett.

Don’t have the book at home?  NO worries, you can watch and listen to it (and others) on You Tube at “Nook Online Storytime.”  use this link:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=nook+online+storytime

What a wonderful, wonderful, story and book!  The illustrations  are just so adorable. If you haven’t read it, it is about a young boy, who gets a pair of knitted mittens from his grandmother, and loses one in the forest.  Several animals, of all sizes, squeeze into it to enjoy its snugly warmth.  A fun story, with a funny ending.

Here are a few Enrichment Activities:

Cause and Effect:  Ask children 4 + years, the first half.  The answer is in italics.

                   What happened when…?

The animals squeezed into the mitten : the mitten stretched out.

The bear sneezed: the animals flew out of the mitten.

The animals were cold: they went into the mitten.

The mouse sat on the bear’s nose: the bear sneezed.

Real or Make Believe? 3 + years

Can a bear fit in a mitten?

Would a mouse sit on a bear’s nose?

Would a badger share his space?

Language Development:

Real Animal Habitat: 4 + years

Where do these animals live?  What do their homes look like?  What are their homes called?

Bear – den,   Rabbit – warren.   Badger – warren,  Owl – nest,  Mouse – nest,  Fox – den,  Mole- fortress, tunnel or burrow,  Hedgehog – den.

Play / Act out:

Using masking tape, make a large mitten shape on the floor.  See how many of your family members you can fit into this shape. Try it by standing in the shape, then by lying down.  Try to predict how many will fit, with everyone taking a guess first.  Perhaps use a blanket to cover everyone.  Is it snugly and warm?

…try white (snow) play-dough, a mitten and animal figurines. I found the  most wonderful play-dough activity for this book.  Here is a link to a wonderful blog called MySmallPotatoes: http://mysmallpotatoes.com/2012/12/06/weekly-kids-co-op-the-mitten-an-enchanting-small-world-activity-inspired-by-an-enchanting-storybook

                

Crafts for Fine Motor Skills: lacing, cutting and painting.

Sequencing Activity:

I found a song, sung to Farmer in the Dell that is a fun way to sequence this story, from Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/183451384797521348/

This post came from:   http://www.firstgradewow.blogspot.com

LapBooks: a parent/child project worthy of taking on.

LapBooks are a brilliant way for kids to get together all the stuff they can find out about an activity and show it off.

I have found a couple great links to get you started.

http://www.homeschooling-ideas.com/lapbooks.html

and this one has some great printable pages for preschool.

http://www.shirleys-preschool-activities.com/printable-crafts.html

I am hoping that you enjoy these activities from “The Mitten”, by Jan Brett.

Next Sunday we will look at “The Kissing Hand”, by Audrey Penn.