Storytime: Ducks

Age: 2-5 years
Time: 25 minutes + play and craft

It's been a dry March here in mid-Michigan, and was perfectly fitting that the first day we see lots of rain is when I have a storytime about ducks scheduled!


1) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

2) Cold Little Duck Duck Duck - Lisa Westberg Peters

I did paperclip a couple pages in this one, I thought the kids might be a little bored with it (and I was right), but I really wanted to use it with it being the first week of spring!


3) Five Little Ducks

From Abby and Meg.

5 little ducks went out to play (hold up 5 fingers/sticks)
Over the hills and far away (arc hand up and over)
Mother duck called “quack, quack, quack” (cup hand around mouth)
And 4 little ducks came waddling back (hold up 4 fingers)

…

1 little duck went out one day (hold up 1 finger/stick)
Over the hills and far away, (arc hand up and over)
Mother duck called “quack, quack, quack” (cup hand around mouth)
but no little ducks came waddling back! 


Can end with:
Mother duck went out one day,
over the hills and far away (arc hand up and over)
Mother duck called “quack, quack, quack” (cup hands around mouth)
and 5 little ducks came waddling back! (hold up 5 fingers)

But since I used the ducks on sticks (and placed them on the chair behind me as I went), I said:
Oh no! The little ducks are all gone! Maybe the mother duck didn’t quack loud enough. Can you help me be really loud quackers and see if they’ll come back? …. Whoa maybe that’s TOO loud. How about quiet quacks? … Medium quacks?

4) The Ducks on the Bus 

From Sunflower Storytime. Tune: The Wheels on the Bus

The ducks on the bus go quack quack quack!
Quack quack quack! Quack quack quack!
The ducks on the bus go quack quack quack!
All through the town!

flap flap flap!….
waddle waddle waddle!….
quack quack quack!….

5) Duck on a Bike - David Shannon

"Have you ever seen a duck on a bus??" (referencing the song we just sang) "Me neither. Well have you ever seen a duck on a bike???" I did read the whole thing (could have skipped a few pages if the kids got restless), and each time after the duck said hello I asked the kids what noise that animal made.

6) Song - I Know a Chicken - Laurie Berkner

There were chickens in the previous book. I almost did Old MacDonald here in this spot, but the kids needed something more interactive.


7) Song & Rhyme Cube

Today the cube rolled Twinkle Twinkle and 5 Little Monkeys.

8) Duckie's Ducklings - Frances Barry

A really cute little board book. I seriously didn't see the ducklings coming up behind her until a couple pages in (I must have had my hand covering the side or something!). But the kids caught it right away, and were all excited and running up to point at the pages.


9) I use the same opening and closing songs each week. Click here to see what I do.

10) Playtime/Craft

I brought out the blocks and instruments for play, and for a table craft I printed an outline of a duck on yellow cardstock. The kids could practice cutting if they wanted, or they could leave it whole. Then we had glue sticks and feathers. Messy, yes. But we have a great vacuum. And I think the kids LOVED this easy craft. I even had one grandma take extra copies for her other grandkids to do later in the day.

Other ducks ideas:

Duckie's Rainbow - Frances Barry (I used this in my Littles storytime)
Duck! Rabbit!  - Amy Krouse Rosenthal (I had bad luck with this one once and considered trying again... but then decided against it)
One Duck Stuck - Phyllis Root
Duck Soup - Jackie Urbanovic
10 Little Rubber Ducks - Eric Carle
Duck Dunks - Lynne Berry
Little Quack - Lauren Thompson
Old MacDonald (especially after Duck on a Bike)


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