WHERE IS MY BUNNY?

Finger plays will never go out of style with children!

Here Is a Bunny
Here is a bunny (Hold up index and middle fingers.)
With ears so funny. (Wiggle fingers.)
And here is his
Hole in the ground. (Make hole with fist of the other hand.)
At the slightest noise he hears,
He pricks up his ears, (Wiggle fingers.)
Then hops to his
Hole in the ground! (Pretend to hop bunny ears into the hole.)

Handprint Bunny

Trace around children's hands and cut them out. Cut off the middle finger and bring the pinky finger and thumb finger down to make arms as shown. Decorate and there's your bunny!

Where Is My Bunny?
Where is my bunny? (Put hands behind your back.)
No one can see. (Shake head.)
I think that my bunny
Is hiding from me. (Look over shoulder.)
Here is my bunny. (Hold up 1 thumb.)
He’s found a friend. (Hold up other thumb.)
Look at all the others. (Slowly stick up fingers.)
Now there are ten! (Wiggle fingers.)

Bunny Ears
Cut ears out of construction paper and glue them to a headband. You can also trace around children's feet and use them for the ears of the headband.

HIPPITY HOP AND FLIPPITY FLOP

Here's a song where you can hop, flop, and blink.

Flip, Flop, Hop
(Tune: “Wheels on the Bus”)
The ears on the bunny go flip, flop, flop (Hands over head and wiggle.)
Flip, flop, flop,
Flip, flop, flop.
The ears on the bunny go flip, flop, flop,
Flip, flip, flop.

The nose on the bunny goes twitch, twitch, twitch… (Wiggle nose.)

The eyes on the bunny go blink, blink, blink… (Blink eyes.)

The tail on the bunny goes wiggle, wobble, wobble… (Wiggle hips.)

The feet on the bunny go hop, hop, hop… (Hop up and down.)

Drawing Rabbits 

Teach children how to draw a bunny from two circles. Add detail to the bunny as you sing the song.
*You can also make bunnies out of play dough.

Bunny Basket 

Fold the sack in half lengthwise as shown. Draw ears on the sack similar to those shown. Cut on the lines and then cut off the sides. Open the sack. Staple the top points to make ears. Put a face and cotton tail on your bunny basket.

A Bunny Tale (Tell and Draw Story)
1. One day a man went walking with his arms behind his back.
2. It started to snow.
3. He got a sled so he could play in the snow.
4. But after awhile he got cold and decided to build himself a house with two stories.
5. He put two windows in the top floor and divided them in half.
6. Then he built two chimneys.
7. He threw some sticks on the fire.
8. And soon he was snug as a bunny.

EGG-CELLENT!

What can you do with all those plastic eggs that accumulate each year? Reuse and recycle them with these "hands-on" activities you can make for centers and independent practice.

Write an upper case letter on one half with a permanent marker and the lower case letter on the other half.
*Children can match letters. They can also write words or draw pictures of things that begin with that sound and put them in the egg.

Write onsets (consonants or blends) on one half and rimes (word endings) on the other half. Children twist around and read words. You could also ask children to write the words.

Practice making and reading two letter words by writing a letter on each half. Ask children to write the words or use them in a sentence.

Write numerals or number words on the eggs. Children fill with the appropriate amount of beans or paper clips.
Can they write all the different ways they can make five?

Make compound words with eggs.

Let children draw pictures of all the animals that come from eggs.

Write a poem about spring on a small sheet of paper. Fold it up and put it in the egg.

Practice addition and subtraction with eggs.

Write sight words or spelling words on the eggs. Write the same word on a 1” x 4” sheet of paper and cut between the letters to make a puzzle. Place puzzle pieces in the egg. Children shake and then open and put the pieces together to make the word.
*You can also put random letters in the egg and ask children to see how many words they can make and write from the letters.

Hint! I have tried both Sharpies and permanent markers and they rub off. I would suggest just putting clear tape on top of the marker.

BUGGY ON DOWN!

Spring brings butterflies and flowers, as well as bugs and insects. You might not be crazy about bugs, but I bet your kids will go "crazy" learning about them in this FREE packet that Carolyn Kisloski and I created for you!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bugs-and-Insects-Unit-2513730

You'll find QR Codes for books about bugs and insects.

You'll also find writing prompts.

How about some math games?

There's even a free song download of my "Insect" song.

INSECT’S BODY (Tune: “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”)
Head (point to head)
Thorax (point to chest)
Abdomen – abdomen! (point to stomach)
Head, thorax, abdomen – abdomen!
And eyes (point to eyes)
And mouth (point to mouth)
And antennae, two (stick 2 fingers up)
Six legs (wiggle 3 fingers on each hand)
And there’s an insect for you!
(Leave off a verse each time and hum.)

Let children make insects from play dough, toothpicks, pipe cleaners, and other art media.

THE PLANTING SONG

The Planting Song
(Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”
Let’s all plant some seeds, (Pretend to dig.)
Let’s all plant some seeds.
Hi, ho, it’s spring you know,
Let’s all plant some seeds.

The rain begins to fall… (Wiggle fingers down.)

The sun warms the earth…(Arms over head.)

The seeds begin to grow… (Pretend one arm is a plant.)


Growing, Growing!
What does a seed need to grow? Brainstorm with the children and write their responses on the board. Take five cups and draw the following as shown:
soil, water, sun, air
soil, water, air
soil, water, sun
soil, sun, air
sun, air, water

Plant several bean seeds in each cup. Encourage the children to predict what will happen. Observe. Evaluate predictions after several weeks.



Seed Hunt
Brainstorm different seeds that come from foods we eat, such as apples, oranges, sunflowers, avocados, popcorn... Challenge children to look in their kitchens at home and bring in seeds. Plant the seeds in clear cups and label. Place in a sunny window, water, and you might be surprised at what comes up!

*We also planted jelly beans and pennies, but alas, they never grew. It was fun experimenting and thinking about eating those jelly beans and spending those pennies!

PARTS OF A FLOWER

Learning to recognize and label plants, insects, and other objects they study about is a good way to integrate writing and science. With this song learning the parts of a flower will be much easier. Children will also be amazed about the parts of a flower that they eat!

Parts of a Flower (Tune: “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes”)
Flower (Hands around face.)
Stem (Point to neck.)
Leaves (Stick out arms.)
And roots (Touch feet.) –
Leaves and roots.
Flower, stem, leaves, and roots –
Leaves and roots.
All it takes is sun (Hands up in circle over head.)
And showers (Wiggle fingers down.)
And a seed (Hold out palm.)
Grows into a flower. (Spread fingers of right hand up through left fist.)


Flip Book
Make a flip book where children can label the parts of a flower. To make a flip book fold a sheet of paper into eighths. Open and fold in half. Cut down the three creased lines to the middle to make flips. Turn vertically as shown. Write “Flower," "Stem," "Leaves," "Roots” on the four sections from the top to the bottom. Open and draw the appropriate part of the plant under each label. Don’t forget to draw the seed!



Eating Plants
Discuss what parts of a plant you eat. What roots do you eat? What leaves? What stems? What flowers? What seeds?
*Divide a sheet of paper into fourths and label, “seeds,” “roots,” “stems,” “flowers.” Have children write or draw different foods they eat from each category.

Dirt Pie
Yeah, I know this isn't very healthy, but I'm sure somebody out there would like to do it at home or summer camp.

BABY BIRD STORY

I've told this story hundreds of times and it never loses its magic. Begin this story with a sheet of paper, scissors, and marker in your lap. (You can either cut the paper or tear it.)  Here's a link to download the directions:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1SnEagA4jljOGhrSnJKWVVfekU/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-L6cCKxoW2Gla5PdeWDUHjw

It was spring time 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.)

Hint! You can also cut this story out of a paper plate.



What’s in the Egg Book?
First, brainstorm all the different animals that come out of an egg. Now, you’re ready to make a flip book called “What’s in the Egg?” Fold a sheet of paper in half lengthwise, then fourths and eighths. Open and cut the crease to the middle fold. Fold in half to make 4 little flaps. Children draw eggs on the front of each flap. Open the flaps and challenge children to draw 4 different things that might come from an egg. When they hold this book up to the light, they will see their little critters inside the egg.

A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME

Do you hear the birds singing their spring song when you wake up in the morning? It’s a happy time of year for critters and people! And, it’s time for the children to start singing this song. It’s silly, but they love it!

Birdies 
Way up in the sky (Put hands in arm pits and flap arms
The big birdies fly. like a bird.)
Way down in the nest (Make a nest by cupping hands.)
The little birds rest.
With a wing on the left, (Wiggle left arm like a wing.)
And a wing on the right, (Wiggle right arm like a wing.)
The little birds sleep (Put head down on palms as if sleeping.)
All through the night.
SHHHHHH! (Put finger over lips.)
DON’T WAKE UP THE BIRDIES!
Then up comes the sun. (Put arms over your head.)
The dew falls away. (Bring down palms.)
Good morning! Good morning! (Put open palms around your head.)
The little birds say. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfZuGmjlyPM

Sing and Act
Let children dramatize this song. Choose one child to be the mother or father bird. Let the other children be the baby birds.

Lunch Sack Nest
Open a paper lunch sack and roll out and down until you reach the bottom and it looks like a nest. Children can roll play dough eggs for the nest, or they can make a bird from two tissues for the nest. 

*Make the shape of a tree on a bulletin board. Staple the nests in the tree and then let children make birds out of construction paper to go in the nests.

*Staple on a pipe cleaner handle and you've got a little
Easter basket.

Bird Nest Snack
Give each child a Rice Crispie treat to mold into a nest. Put a few jelly beans in the nest and place a marshmallow “peep” on top. (Yeah, I know this is total junk and you probably can’t do it at school, but my grandkids enjoyed making these for our Easter dinner last year.)

       

HAPPY BIRD DAY

Two Little Bluebirds
Two little bluebirds sitting on a hill. (Stick up both thumbs.) 

One named Jack (Wiggle right thumb.)
And one named Jill. (Wiggle left thumb.)
Fly away Jack. (Put right thumb behind back.)
Fly away Jill (Put left thumb behind back.)
Come back Jack. (Bring back right thumb.)
Come back Jill. (Bring back left thumb.)

Opposite variations:
One named Happy and one named Sad… (Say happy and then sad.)
One named Loud and one named Soft… (Say loud and then soft.)
One named Fast and one named Slow… (Move one fast and one slow.)
Continue letting children think of names and motions for the birds.

Paper Plate Birds and Nests
Let children make birds or nests out of paper plates similar to the ones in the picture. 

Bird Puppet
One more little “bird” day project that’s made with felt, glue, and a wiggly eye.
Cut out two bird bodies similar to the one shown. Cut out the wings on the fold. Glue around the edges leaving a 2” opening in the bottom where you can insert your finger. Cut a 2” slot in the top and insert the wings. Add a beak, eyes, and you’re ready to fly.

*Call it “Word Bird” and let children wear it to read words.
*Use it to track from left to write as you read chorally or count on the calendar.
*Play the “quiet game” with word bird. One child wears the bird and says:
Blue bird, blue bird, how quiet can you be? (Insert whatever color.)
Fly to a quiet friend, one, two, three.
The child passes the bird to a quiet friend who comes to the front of the room and the game continues.


Peck, Peck, Peck Poem
Peck, peck, peck,
On the soft little egg. Out comes a neck.
Out comes a leg.
How does a chick
Who’s not been about
Discover the secret
Of how to get out?

This is a great poem to read together again and again. Ask children how they think the chick gets out of the egg. Why do birds need a beak?

Here’s a craft activity to go along with the poem. Cut two ovals out of construction paper. Decorate one with crayons and then cut a zig zag down the middle. Make a head for your bird out of a circle and small orange triangle. Use brad fasteners to attach the head and the wings. Children can unfold the egg as they repeat the rhyme.

POPCORN TREE

Spring is popping out all over!!!

Popcorn Tree
(Tune: “Turkey in the Straw”)
I looked out my window (Hand over eyes.)
And what did I see?
Popcorn popping on my cherry tree. (Hands on hips.)
What a surprise spring left for me.
Popcorn popping in my cherry tree.
Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. (Wiggle hips to the beat.)
Pop! Pop! (Jump up twice.)

Sing faster…faster…super fast!

Trace around the child’s hand and arm on a sheet of paper to resemble a tree trunk. Color or paint the tree. Glue popcorn or cotton balls on the branches to look like blossoms.

Hint! If you shake popcorn in a sack with a little dry tempera it will look like pink blossoms.

Flower Bookmark
Grow into a book with this idea! Each child will need to collect small flowers, petals, and leaves outside. (Remind them to only take things off the ground and never pull live flowers from a plant!) Give each child 2 pieces of self laminating paper cut in 8” x 2” strips. Children take the back off one sheet and place it sticky side up on the table. After they arrange their natural objects, they place the second sheet on top and seal. 

Hint! You can also use wide packaging tape to make these book marks.

Flower Power
Look at this beautiful bulletin board that Jeannie Podest made from word families.