Birds of a Feather - Day Three


Babies
A baby bird grows and grows and grows inside his egg until he gets too big to grow anymore. Then, he wiggles and the egg cracks. After the egg cracks, he uses his “egg tooth” to peck away at the crack until he is able to hatch out of the egg.

Circle Time Ideas
Chirping Babies
In some species, when a baby bird first hatches, he is blind and featherless and so weak he cannot even stand. His parents must care him for. He chirps and chirps and waits to be fed. Let the children wrap up in their blankets as if they are hatching from their eggs again. After they are hatched, encourage them to sit on their blankets and pretend like the blankets are their nests. As they chirp, the teacher can come around and give each baby bird a gummy worm.

Song
Baby Birds Are Chirping
The teacher can sing this song as she hands out the gummy worms to the tune of The More We Get Together. When all of the birdies are finished eating, they can join in by singing with the teacher.

Baby Birds Are Chirping

Baby birds are chirping.
Chirp chirping.
Chirp chirping.

Baby birds are chirping.
Chirp chirping for worms.

They’re hungry and cold and not very old.
Baby birds are chirping.
Chirp chirping for worms.

Stretching Their Wings
Gradually, baby birds grow feathers and become strong enough to stand. They venture to the side of the nest and stretch their wings. Let the children use their blankets as their wings and practice stretching as they prepare to learn to fly. It can take months for a baby to finally learn to fly so make sure the birds stay in their nests for now. Put on some slow music and let them chirp and stretch to the music using their blankets as wings.
 

Good Book
Feathers For Lunch
by Lois Ehlert 


Another Good Book
Are you My Mother?
by P.D. Eastman 

Messy Table
WORMS!
Worms are wonderful! Go to a bait and tackle store and buy a bunch of bait worms. Dump them into two large tubs of dirt and let the children observe them as they dig. The children can use their hands to dig up the worms. For fun, have a variety of plastic birds at the table for pretend feeding. Bring the worms outside and put them in the garden at the end of the day. Have a box of baby wipes available for hand washing.

Cut & Color Table
Worm Sculpture
Provide the children with a bunch of green pipe cleaners. Let them twist and bend the pipe cleaner “worms” into different shapes. They can use scissors to cut the pipe cleaner “worms” into different sizes. Encourage them to connect the pipe cleaner “worms” to make a worm sculpture.

Creative Art
Baby Birds
Things you will need:
  • Small feathers
  • Glue
  • Paint
  • Large feathers
 Let the children use the large feathers to paint on large construction paper. They can use long, flowing strokes or short quick strokes. Then, let them glue small feathers on the paper in clusters to make “baby birds.” Add wiggly eyes and draw orange feet. When the birds are decorated just right, let them hang their bird pictures to the sky backdrop they made earlier in the week.

Outside
Insect Traps
Let the children help set up a few insect traps on the play yard.
Things you will need:
  • Four small, clear, plastic cups
  • Shovels
  • Peanut butter
Help the children dig four small holes in the dirt. The holes will need to be the same size as the plastic cups. Lower the plastic cups into the holes so that the brims are even with the Earth. Put a small scoop of peanut butter in each of the cups and cover it with a small layer of loose grass. That’s it! Wait a while and you will get a big surprise. in a few days, you will have an insect zoo!