Encourage children's learning across the curriculum, with particular emphasis on mathematical development, by introducing a project based on the amusing Farmyard Fun story, by Adrian Reynolds (Orchard Books, 5.99). Have fun following Pete and his polar bear toy, Polo, as they attempt to find ten little ducklings playing hide and seek on Grandpa's farm.
Adult-led activity
Farmyard fun
Stimulate children's interest in the story of Farmyard Fun with a few well-chosen props.
Key learning intentions
To retell narratives in the correct sequence, drawing on the language patterns of stories
To say and use numbers in order in familiar contexts
Adult-child ratio 1:6
Resources
Farmyard Fun by Adrian Reynolds (Orchard Books, 5.99) ,pillow case ,10 plastic ducklings ,baby bath ,jug ,blue food colouring ,towel
Activity content
* Invite the children to sit around the baby bath while you read Farmyard Fun to them. Encourage them to look closely at the pictures and ask them to point to and count the ducklings on each page.
* Put some water in the bottom of the bath and add a few drops of food colouring. Explain that this is the duck pond.
* Pass around the pillowcase filled with the ten ducklings. Can the children guess what is inside by feeling it?
* Begin to read the story again, this time pausing and asking a child to pull out two ducks when Pete discovers them in Buffy's water bowl. Ask the child to float the ducks on the pond and pass the pillowcase to the next child.
* Continue reading the story, pausing to ask the child holding the pillowcase to remove the correct number of ducks, float them on the pond and pass the pillowcase on every time that Pete makes a discovery. Once all of the ducks are in the pond, count them together to check that there are ten.
* Invite the children to retell the story in their own words, giving support to help them to remember the sequence of events.
Extended learning
Key vocabulary
Story, beginning, end, characters, ducklings, adventure
Questions to ask
* How does the story start? What happens next? How does the story end?
* How many ducklings did Grandpa have? Can you remember some of the places they were hiding?
Extension ideas
* Read a story chosen by the children and retell it together in the correct sequence. Discuss what happens at the beginning, middle and end, and name the main characters.
* Number the ducklings from one to ten and invite the children to arrange them in numerical order.
Child-initiated learning
Water play
Additional resources
and adult support
* Stand a table next to a water tray and arrange ten plastic ducklings on a towel on top of it. Colour the water blue and add some green cellophane strips to represent pond weed.
* Comment on how the water resembles a pond and suggest that the children re-enact the Farmyard Fun story in the water.
* Leave the children to play freely, returning occasionally to observe and supply additional resources.
Play possibilities
* Re-enacting a familiar story, or making up stories of their own with the available resources.
* Counting up to ten ducklings.
* Deciding upon the theme of play with one another.
Possible learning outcomes
Uses language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences
Uses mathematical language in play
Plays alongside others engaged in the same theme
Adult-led activity
Hide and seek
Introduce an alternative game of hide and seek related to Farmyard Fun.
Key learning intentions
To form good relationships with adults and peers
To use everyday words to describe position
To move with confidence, imagination and in safety
Adult-child ratio 1:4
Resources
A large outdoor space ,copy of Farmyard Fun ,10 plastic ducklings ,circular piece of blue plastic ,large blanket ,dog's plastic water bowl ,watering can ,long plant container representing a water trough ,plastic bucket ,two laminated picture cards depicting a water pump and a dripping tap
Activity content
* Position the story props around the area, hanging the picture cards on a fence or tree trunk, and then place the appropriate number of ducklings in the correct position beside each one.
* Spread the blue sheet on the ground in the centre of a large blanket and ask the children to sit around it on the blanket. Explain that this is the empty pond and that the ducklings are playing hide and seek.
* Invite the children to find the ducklings and return them to the pond as you read the story. Pause at relevant points to emphasise the positional language to help the children find the ducklings.
* As each duckling is located have the children bring it back to the pond until all ten are 'swimming' around.
Extended learning
Key vocabulary
Down, up, in, beneath, under, around, through, behind, over
Questions to ask
* How many ducklings have you found?
* Where were they hiding?
* Where did you find the first two ducklings?
Extension ideas
* Play 'hunt the ducklings' indoors and supply positional clues to help the children in their search, for example, 'Look between the book shelves'.
* Invite the children to work in pairs, taking turns to hide a duckling and find it following directional clues.
Child-initiated learning
Outdoors
Additional resources and adult support
* Leave the resources used for the adult-led activity in place.
* Join the children initially and continue to play hide and seek with the ducklings before withdrawing to enable the children to play independently.
* Return occasionally to encourage discussion about how play has progressed.
Play possibilities
* Working co-operatively to hide and find plastic ducklings.
* Counting up to ten ducklings.
* Inventing new hiding places for the ducklings.
Possible learning outcomes
Is confident enough to try new activities, initiate ideas and speak in a familiar group
Initiates conversation, attending to and taking account of what others say and using talk to resolve disagreements
Willingly attempts to count, with some numbers in the correct order
Small world & construction area
Additional resources and adult support
* Introduce a copy of Farmyard Fun, ten plastic ducklings, two small-world people and stand-up cards with pictures of the places where the ducklings hid in the story to the usual equipment housed in this area.
* Play with the props alongside the children and comment on how they remind you of the story in the book. Look at the pictures together and read the story to the children if requested.
* Leave the children to explore the resources, returning occasionally to listen to their ideas and observe their play.
Play possibilities
* Using positional language to describe where the ducklings are hidden.
* Making up stories of their own, related or unrelated to Farmyard Fun.
* Talking about what is happening in their play and what they plan to do next.
* Manipulating materials to create a desired effect.
Possible learning outcomes
Uses talk to connect ideas, explain what is happening and anticipate what might happen next
Uses everyday words to describe position
Demonstrates increasing skill and control in the use of blocks, construction sets and small-world activities
Introduces a story line or narrative into their play
Adult-led activity
Fingers and thumbs
Help the children to create duckling finger puppets to enhance their imaginative play and use as props as they re-enact the focused story.
Key learning intentions
In practical activities and discussion, to begin to use the vocabulary involved in adding and subtracting
To select the tools and techniques they need to shape, assemble and join materials they are using
To find out about, and identify, some features of living things, objects and events they observe
Adult-child ratio 1:4
Resources
A copy of Farmyard Fun ,pictures of ducks and ducklings ,3thick card ,yellow felt ,PVA glue ,sequins ,small collage materials such as buttons and beads
Activity content
* Create a card template by drawing round an adult middle finger down to the centre and cutting this out. Use the template to create finger-shaped pieces of yellow felt.
* Ask the children how many ducklings are in the story and then count a child's fingers and thumbs on both hands.
* Suggest making ten finger puppets each to represent the ducklings in the story.
* Demonstrate how to join two finger-shaped pieces of felt by glueing around the edge, leaving the straight edge at the bottom free to insert a finger.
* Look at pictures of ducks and ducklings and discuss their main features.
Invite the children to create features for their duckling puppets by glueing on collage materials such as sequins.
* Adjust the length of the finished puppets if necessary.
* Ask the children to put their puppets in a row in front of them and put them on as the ducklings in the story are found.
Extended learning
Key vocabulary
Beak, webbed feet, fluffy, ducklings, more, less, another
Questions to ask
* What does a duckling look like?
* What did you use to make your puppets?
* Pete found two ducklings first and then another three. How many is that altogether?
* When Pete had found nine ducklings, how many more did he need to find to make ten?
Extension ideas
* Re-enact the rhyme 'Five little ducks went swimming one day' (from This Little Puffin edited by Elizabeth Matterson, Puffin, 6.99) using the finger puppets as props.
* Challenge the children to work out some maths problems, for example, 'I have ten ducks. If three swim away, how many will be left?'
Child-initiated learning
Creative area
Additional resources and adult support
* Introduce some of the felt finger puppet templates to the usual selection of collage materials. Stand a copy of the focused book, some pictures of ducks and ducklings, and a selection of toy and model ducks on a table nearby.
* Draw attention to the templates and invite the children to recall how they made puppets with them. Invite them to investigate the duck display on the table.
* Leave the children to explore the resources and use them as they wish, visiting the area to supply materials and support with techniques if requested.
Play possibilities
* Making finger puppets from available materials, particularly ducklings.
* Counting the ducklings and add up the totals of groups of ducklings.
* Using the puppets to re-enact the focused story or rhyme, or make up stories of their own.
* Using their imaginations to invent new puppet characters, inspired by the available resources.
* Discovering more about the features of ducks and ducklings.
Possible learning outcomes
Finds the total number of items in two groups by counting them
Finds out about, and identifies, some features of living things
Constructs with a purpose in mind, using a variety of resources
Handles tools and objects safely and with increasing control
Malleable materials
Additional resources and adult support
* Move the child-initiated display set up for the creative area to the dough table.
* Make some yellow playdough and provide shallow plastic dishes lined with blue cellophane to represent ponds.
* Visit the area to draw the children's attention to the objects on the display table and discuss what they might make from yellow dough.
* Leave the children to play, returning occasionally to provide further supplies of resources as requested.
Play possibilities
* Making ducklings from playdough and floating them on ponds.
* Counting the ducklings they have made.
* Simply enjoying the experience of manipulating the playdough and perhaps creating their own models.
Possible learning outcomes
Counts irregular arrangements of up to ten objects
Explores malleable materials by patting, stroking, poking, squeezing, pinching and twisting them
Expresses and communicates ideas, thoughts and feelings using a range of materials
Areas of learning
Personal, social and emotional development
Communication, language and literacy
Mathematical development
Knowledge & understanding of the world
Physical development
Creative development
Reader offer
* We have ten copies of Farmyard Fun by Adrian Reynolds (Orchard Books, Pounds 5.99) to give away to Nursery World readers. Send your name and address on the back of a postcard or envelope, marked 'Farmyard Fun', to the address on page 3. Winners will be the first ten names drawn on 9 March.