Spring is here and it is a perfect time to focus on a farm theme. Driving on the highway between Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray we saw numerous cow herds with new baby calves. We hear ducks and frogs in our creek. Farmers are preparing to sow their crops and gardens for another year. Most of my activities and songs focus on animals because you can incorporate counting and colour recognition so easily with them, and they are familiar to early learners.
Books
Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
Old MacDonald had a farm by Golden Books
The Three Little Pigs by Alan Benjamin
Click Clack Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin
No Sleep for the sheep by Karen Beaumont
You could also just focus on this variety of books based on the “Old Mac Donald Had a Farm” song.
Old Mikamba Had a Farm by Rachel Isadora (African animals and their sounds)
Old MacDonald Drives a Tractor by Don Carter (different farm machinery)
Old Mac Donald Had a Baby by Emily Snape and K-Fai Steele (farm animals help with parenting chores)
Ms MacDonald Has a Class by Jan Omerod (a class visits a farm)
Old MacDonald had a Woodshop by Lisa Shulman (different tools)
Old MacDonald Had a Dragon by Ken Baker (a dragon gobbles up different animals)
Old MacDonald had a truck by Steve Goetz ( different construction machinery)
SONGS
Old MacDonald Had a Farm (Magnets)
Any type of metal tin will work or a magnetic cookie sheet.
I found this set of magnets at a thrift store.
Keep singing with different animals or vehicles and make their sounds.
Old MacDonald had a farm E I E I O
and on his farm he had a cow E I E I O
with a moo moo here and a moo moo there
here a moo there a moo everywhere a moo moo
Old MacDonald had a farm E I E I O
Down on Grandpa’s Farm
I keep all my toy farm animals together in a bin.
Choose a toy animal and sing about it’s colour and the noise it makes.
Down on grandpa’s farm there is a little white sheep
down on grandpa’s farm there is a little white sheep
The sheep, it makes a sound like this, baaa baaa
the sheep, it makes a sound like this, baaa baaa
We’re on our way, we’re on our way
on our way to grandpa’s farm
we’re on our way, we’re on our way
on our way to grandpa’s farm.
Five Little Ducks
Five little ducks went out to play
Over the hills and far away
Momma duck said quack quack quack quack
But only four of her ducks came back.
Four little ducks…
Three…
Two…
One…
Momma duck went out one day
Over the hills and far away
Momma duck said (sad voice) “quack, quack quack quack”
And all her little ducks came back!
Bumpin up and Down
This song illustrates that things sometimes need to be fixed on the farm with different tools. You could use toy tools as props
Bumpin up and down in my big green tractor
bumpin up and down in my big green tractor
bumpin up and down in my big green tractor
having so much fun.
Oh No!! It stopped working.
what can we fix it with?
(Child says)…A hammer
We’re gonna fix it with a hammer
we’re gonna fix it with a hammer
we’re gonna fix it with a hammer
Let’s see if it is fixed
Nope…still doesn’t start
What else can we fix it with
(Child says)…A wrench
…A screwdriver
…A saw
…A drill
(For the last verse, when the tractor is fixed, you sing the first verse again)
The Farmer in the Dell
The song starts with a child being picked as the farmer. That child then picks a wife to stand in the center of the group. The wife picks a child and the child comes to the center etc.
CRAFTS
Pig- paper plate
Sheep
Barn
Cow Bell
Horse
ACTIVITIES
Visit a Farm
If you are able to visit a farm that would be wonderful. Perhaps a local farmer could come in to the center and bring an animal. Children learn best by seeing and doing things so a hands-on activity like this would be one they would remember for a long time.
Animal Gross Motor Game
Animals and their babies
This would be another time you could use the animal and baby activity from my Mother’s Day early learning post. You could extend the idea by chatting about what each animal might eat, where they would sleep and what their job on a farm might be.
SENSORY
Playdough
Farm animal washing station
The Farm theme is one that never gets old.
Children of all ages love animals and a farm is a great place to see many diiferent ones.