Pond Play

LESSON 5

Children use their knowledge about ponds in creative play-based learning activities.

  • Play silks

  • Watercolor pictures from lesson 4

  • Blanket or sheet (optional)

  • Lamp (optional)

  • A fictional storybook set at a pond, see book options below (you can always check YouTube for read aloud versions):

    • The story “Have You Seen My Duckling?” by Nancy Tafuri

    • “The Lodge That Beaver Built,” Randi Sonenshine (highly recommend)

    • “The Ugly Duckling”

    • or any fictional story set at a pond (check your home library to see if you have one on hand or your community library)

Materials

  • Gather materials

  • Read through the story beforehand

Preparations

  • Promote curiosity and interest in pond life.

  • Encourage children to use new knowledge and vocabulary in play.

  • Foster a sense of wonder and curiosity about the natural world.

  • Encourage children to appreciate and respect the environment around them.

  • Use new vocabulary words related to pond life.

Objectives for Teachers

  • Children express creativity through play-based activity.

  • Children practice new vocabulary words related to pond life.

  • Children practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills by making observations and asking questions about the story.

  • Children develop an appreciation for the natural world and the importance of protecting and preserving habitats.

Objectives for Children

Collect and Connect

5 Little Ducks

Five little ducks went out one day

Over the hill and far away

Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack"

But only four little ducks came back

Four little ducks went out one day

Over the hill and far away

Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack"

But only three little ducks came back

Three little ducks went out one day

Over the hill and far away

Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack"

But only two little ducks came back

Two little ducks went out one day

Over the hill and far away

Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack"

But only one little duck came back

One little duck went out one day

Over the hill and far away

Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack"

But none of the five little ducks came back

Sad mother duck went out one day

Over the hill and far away

Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack"

And all of the five little ducks came back

  • Do a mindfulness activity together. 

  • Practice singing and doing the actions for the song “5 Little Ducks.”

Activity Flow

  1. Begin by reflecting on all the different life and beauty you can find at streams and ponds. Then tell your child that because ponds are so beautiful and full of life, they inspire people to write fictional stories. Fictional means pretend. Ask your child if they like to play pretend. Then tell them that even though these stories are pretend, parts of them can still be true and teach us about pond life and animals, but the characters in the story might talk or do things they wouldn’t normally do in real life. It is fun to create and imagine things in a different way.

  2. Read your story of choice together and talk about it together.

  3. Ask your child if visiting and learning about ponds has inspired them. Tell them that you thought it would be fun to play pretend today using the animals you painted and the play silks you made. Here are some fun ideas:

  • Puppet Theater: Turn your pond animals into puppets and use your play silks as a backdrop to your puppet show. Create a story together using new knowledge learned about ponds, and imagination. Then practice and perform your puppet show to a pretend audience like stuffed animals or family members.

  • Shadow puppet theater: Turn your pond animals into puppets, then use a sheet and a lamp to create a shadow puppet show, or use a bright window during the day and hang a playsilk using suction hooks. Create a story together using new knowledge learned about ponds, and imagination. Then practice and perform your shadow puppet show to a pretend audience like stuffed animals, or family members.

  • Create a small world pond scene: Use your paintings and silks to create a small world pond scene. Enjoy open-ended play with the characters and scenes you and your child create.