I usually save this story for springtime or a unit on birds, but the children will enjoy it any time of year.
BABY BIRD
Materials: construction paper, scissors, marker
Directions: Begin this story with a sheet of paper, scissors, and marker in your lap. Follow the directions as you tell the story. (You can either cut the paper or tear it.)
It was springtime and mother and father bird decided to build a nest. Who can tell me some of the things they might have used to make their nest?
(Fold the paper in half and cut accordingly.)
Mother bird sat on the nest and laid a beautiful egg.
(Open the nest to reveal the egg shape.)
Now, mother bird could not leave the egg. She had to sit on it and keep it warm and safe. Even when it rained and the wind blew hard, mother bird had to sit there and protect her egg. Fortunately, two little bugs who lived in the tree made friends with mother bird and kept her company. This is one little bug. His name was _____.
(Use a child’s name in the class.)
(Draw a little dot for the bug.)
This is the other little bug. Her name was _____,
(Use another child’s name in the class.)
(Draw another little dot on the opposite side.)
One day as mother bird was sitting on the egg, she heard a little cracking sound. She looked down and saw a little crack in her egg.
(Cut a little slit on the fold slanted toward the eyes.)
Then she heard a great, big cracking sound.
(Cut around the eye and slit as shown stopping before you get to the end of the egg.)
And guess what mother bird saw coming out of the big crack in her egg? She saw her baby bird!
(Open the egg and bend up the beak as shown.)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljOGhrSnJKWVVfekU/view?usp=sharing
Hint! You can also cut this story out of a paper plate.
A HEART FOR YOU
Materials: red construction paper and scissors
Child’s name wanted to make some special valentines for her friends. So she got some red paper and folded it in half and tired to cut out a heart.
(Let the scraps fall to the ground.)
She opened it up and didn’t like the way it looked so she tried to trim it down a little bit. (Again, let the scraps fall to the ground as you cut out a smaller heart.)
“No, that’s not quite right,” she said. “Let me try again.”
Continue cutting smaller and smaller hearts until there’s only a tiny heart left. “Oh, dear, what can I do now?” Then she looked down on the floor and one by one picked up her scraps. “Oh, goodie! Now I have enough hearts for all my friends!”
RAINHAT STORY
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljM1VPUU1RLXh2X2s/view?usp=sharing
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Note! This paper folding activity can also be found in the book Curious George Takes a Job.