Ben and Gran and the Whole, Wide, Wonderful World by Gillian Shields (Macmillan Children's Books, 4.99) is a highly amusing storybook of the extraordinary lengths Ben and his Gran go to to remain in touch.
Encourage children to let their imaginations soar as they explore sending messages and travelling the world.
Adult-led activity
Across the miles
Have fun re-enacting some unusual methods of communication used by Ben and his Gran.
Key learning intentions
To work as part of a group, taking turns and sharing fairly
To attempt writing for different purposes
To construct with a purpose in mind, using a variety of resources
Adult:child ratio 1:7
Resources
* Ben and Gran and the Whole, Wide, Wonderful World by Gillian Shields * wooden blocks * a large box * five pieces of mail addressed to Ben and five addressed to Gran * two boxes * props to transport mail: a model helicopter, a model aeroplane, a helium balloon with a small basket attached, a balloon with string attached and a soft toy bird
Activity content
* Read the story and then suggest re-enacting some of it. Start by getting the children to help to prepare the props.
* Ask them to make letters, cards and parcels, write 'Ben' or 'Gran' on them and put them in two separate boxes.
* Make Ben's house together using a large box with painted red walls and a white roof. Build a tall twisty house for Gran using blocks at one end of a large carpet space. Put Ben's house at the other end of the space.
* Choose children to play the parts of Ben and Gran and provide the other five with one transport prop each.
* Invite Ben and Gran to sit by their houses and the others to sit in a row in the centre of the space holding their props, with the boxes of mail alongside them, as you begin to read the story.
* Pause on the double page depicting the different forms of transport and say them aloud one at a time. For example, say 'They sent messages by helicopter' and invite the child with the helicopter to choose some mail to deliver to Ben or Gran. Continue until all of the children have had a turn to deliver some mail.
* Once all of the mail has been delivered, ask the children to sit down and listen to the rest of the story.
Extended learning
Key vocabulary
Whole wide world, little, red, tall, twisty, cluttered, miles and miles, over here, over there, messages, mail, aeroplane, helicopter, hot air balloon, pigeon, balloon
Questions to ask
* Who was Ben's favourite person? Who was Gran's?
* How did Ben and Gran send messages to each other?
* What did Ben's house look like? Why was Gran's different?
Extension ideas
* Ben's favourite person was Gran and Gran's was Ben. Ask the children about their favourite people and suggest that they make cards for them.
* Look at a globe and talk about how Gran lived miles and miles away from Ben. Decide where they might live and plot the journey their mail would have to take. How could it be transported across land and sea?
Child-initiated learning
Mark-making/graphics area
Additional resources and adult support
* Transform the area into a post-office and stand a post box alongside.
Provide a selection of paper, card, boxes and joining materials so the children can write letters, make greetings cards and wrap parcels.
* Visit the area, say you would like a birthday card for a relative and ask if anyone can help you make and post one.
* Take a parcel addressed to a friend overseas and encourage the children to think of unusual ways to deliver it by drawing on their memories of the story, such as going in a hot air balloon.
Play possibilities
* Create parcels, cards and letters.
* Engage in conversation with other children about their plans for using the resources and use language to recall the story to support their ideas.
* Extend play by pretending to deliver mail in unusual ways.
Possible learning outcomes
Writing their own names and other things such as labels and captions
Using their imaginations in art and design, role-play and stories
Begin to use mathematical names for solid and flat shapes
Construction area
Additional resources and adult support
* Look at the pictures of Ben's house and Gran's house. Point out key features such as a 'tall' and 'twisty' shape and a 'slopey roof'. Supply the children with a selection of recycled boxes, paint and joining materials to enable them to create their own versions of the houses.
* Talk to the children and explore their ideas for building the houses and note any additional resources they might mention. Try to supply these if possible.
* Consider what they might need to extend their play when the houses are finished, such as small world people and model vehicles to transport mail.
Try to ensure that you have these on hand in advance.
Play possibilities
* Share ideas about building representations of the houses in the story using available resources and adapting ideas.
* Introduce a story line into their play after creating the houses, usually linked to the focus story.
* Discover appropriate materials and joining techniques through trying and testing.
Possible learning outcomes
Working as part of a group, sharing and taking turns
Using talk to organise, sequence and clarify thinking, ideas, feelings and events
Selecting the tools and techniques they need to shape, assemble and join materials they are using
Adult-led activity
Gran's journey
Motivate the children further by exploring Gran's incredible journey to visit Ben.
Key learning intentions
To find out about their environment and talk about those features they like and dislike
To use a range of large and small equipment
To use their imagination in imaginative and role play, and stories
Adult:child ratio 1:5
Resources
* Ben and Gran and the Whole, Wide, Wonderful World by Gillian Shields * small case * map * props to represent features on Gran's journey, such as cushions and fabric
Activity content
* Share the story with the children and then re-read the second half about Gran's journey and suggest re-enacting this. Explain that you will be Gran and the children will be her five cats.
* Invite the children to recall some of the things that Gran took on her journey and pretend to put them in a suitcase.
* Follow the description of Gran's journey, using props to represent different environmental features. For example, bump along on a 'wagon'
bench, swim over a blue fabric 'rushing rocky river' and climb up and down a cushion 'mountain'.
Extended learning
Key vocabulary
Pack, sensible, map, hitched, wagon, forest, river, mountain, frozen lake, desert, sea, skied, skated, flew, parachuted, crossed, zoomed, walked, tram, bus, subway, taxi, express train
Questions to ask
* Can you remember some of the ways that Gran travelled to Ben's house?
* What things did she have to cross?
Extension ideas
* Make a number frieze based on the items that Gran packed for her journey.
* Look at the picture of the cake Ben baked and make one from yellow dough, covered with tissue icing and sequins.
Child-initiated learning
Home area
Additional resources and adult support
* Provide additional resources for packing for a journey based on those packed by Gran. Include a range of bags so several children can pack at once.
* Clear some carpet space and leave a selection of cushions and fabric to create features such as rivers and hills.
* Allow time for the children to explore the resources in the home area before asking them if you can join them on their journey. Encourage them to use the resources on the carpet to create an imaginary environment to journey through.
Play possibilities
* Discuss what to pack for an imaginary journey.
* Use large resources to create an imaginary landscape.
* Recall events in the story to influence and extend their ideas.
* Enjoy the flexibility of space and mobile resources to explore their ideas.
Possible learning outcomes
Talking activities through, reflecting on and modifying what they are doing.
Handling construction materials safely and with increasing control.
Expressing and communicating ideas, thoughts and feelings through imaginative and role play.