A little brown bear went searching for honey.
Isn’t it funny, a bear wanting honey!
He sniffed in the breeze,
And he listened for bees,
And would you believe, he even climbed trees.
Why action rhymes matter
- Action rhymes often help children to remember a rhyme
- They help children move to a beat
- They can support children’s co-ordination
- They help children understand the meanings of words
- They give children a sense of belonging as they join in with others
Tips for sharing action rhymes
- Consider children’s level of co-ordination when choosing rhymes
- Take time to say the words clearly
- Slow down the rhyme when showing children the gestures
- Exaggerate the gestures so that children can connect them to the words
- Watch out for children who have difficulty in co-ordinating their movement
Suggestions for sharing this rhyme
For each underlined word, use a gesture:
A little brown bear went searching for honey.
(Shade your eyes and look around)
Isn’t it funny, a bear wanting honey!
He sniffed in the breeze.
(Sniff the air)
And he listened for bees.
(Cup your hands behind your ears)
And would you believe, he even climbed trees.
(Mime the action of climbing a tree)
Ideas for extending the learning
- Over 12 months, bring in different types of honey for children to taste. (Be sure to check for any allergies)
- Organise a Teddy Bears’ picnic. Pack a basket and head for your local park, spread out a blanket in your garden or, if it’s a rainy day, set up an indoor picnic for the dolls
- Play a hide-and-seek game using a pretend honey jar. Can the child spot the honey?
- Put windmills or strips of paper outdoors to watch them move in a breeze. What other things are moving in the breeze? Can the children feel the wind on their faces?
- Explore different kinds of bears, from polar bears to grizzlies, pandas to sun bears.
For this and other rhymes, visit: https://kcls.org/ https://kcls.org/content/
For Part 1 of this series, see our April issue or visit: www.nurseryworld.co.uk
